Julen Lopetegui has named an unchanged West Ham United team for Saturday’s Premier League derby against Arsenal at 5.30pm GMT.
Undefeated in their last three home league games, the Hammers will line up with the same starting XI that began Monday’s 2-0 win at Newcastle United, and they will now hope to build on that momentum as they host the title-chasing Gunners at London Stadium.
Jean-Clair Todibo had to be withdrawn during that contest with the Magpies, but the defender has been deemed fit to feature from the off in east London.
Mohammed Kudus serves the fifth and final game of his five-match ban, after being shown a red card at Tottenham Hotspur last month, while Edson Álvarez is available for selection having served his two-match suspension for his red card at Nottingham Forest and is on the bench.
Lopetegui himself will have to watch on from the stands at London Stadium, as he will serve a one-match touchline ban after receiving his third yellow card of the season at St James' Park.
The Spanish boss has named Academy of Football graduate Ezra Mayers in a senior matchday squad for the first time. Such a feat marks the latest milestone in Mayers' burgeouning career, with the promising defender having signed his first professional contract days after turning 17 in January, and earned the Dylan Tombides Award and Doris Bell Trophy at the end of 2023/24. After playing half of the U21s' Premier League 2 defeat at Manchester United on Friday, Mayers will take his place among the substitutes for the first team this evening.
Former Gunner Łukasz Fabiański continues in goal and will be behind a back four of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Maximilian Kilman and Emerson.
In front of them, Tomáš Souček, who became the first West Ham midfielder to score 30 career non-penalty goals in the Premier League victory against Newcastle, will likely anchor the midfield.
The Czech will have Lucas Paquetá and Carlos Soler in a double pivot in front of him. Paquetá, who was named as Sky Sports’ Man of the Match against Newcastle, is closing in on becoming the next Hammers centurion and will be hoping for another landmark goal in Claret and Blue on his 99th appearance. Soler retains his spot in Lopetegui’s starting XI after an impressive performance in the North-East.
Jarrod Bowen is set to skipper the XI and is expected to feature from the right side of our forward three, flanked on the left by Crysencio Summerville and spearheaded through the middle by Michail Antonio.
There are just two changes to the matchday squad that was named against Newcastle. Academy defender and potential first-team debutant Mayers replaces Dinos Mavropanos among the substitutes, while Álvarez is named on the bench in place of Aaron Cresswell.
Alongside Álvarez and Mayers on the bench will be goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, defenders Vladimír Coufal and Ollie Scarles, midfielders Guido Rodríguez, Andy Irving, Luis Guilherme and forward Danny Ings.
Both Mavropanos and fellow defender Kaelan Casey miss out owing to a virus.
West Ham United: Fabiański, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson, Soler, Souček, Paquetá, Summerville, Bowen ©, Antonio
Subs: Areola (GK), Coufal, Mayers, Scarles, Rodríguez, Álvarez, Irving, Luis Guilherme, Ings
Arsenal: Raya, Saliba, Magalhães, Timber, Calafiori, Jorginho, Rice, Ødegaard ©, Trossard, Saka, Havertz
Subs: Neto (GK), Tierney, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Nwaneri, Nichols, Sterling, Martinelli, Jesus
Referee: Anthony Taylor
