David Moyes has named his West Ham United side for his 900th league game in management, against Sheffield United at London Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Scot picks the same starting XI he selected for the Premier League defeat at Liverpool last weekend as he seeks to extend his perfect career record against the Blades to eight wins out of eight. In seven previous games against the Yorkshire side in the dugout, Moyes’ sides have won all seven, scored 19 goals and conceded just two.
West Ham are also seeking a tenth consecutive win against a team kicking-off against them bottom of the Premier League table.
Tomáš Souček, fresh from scoring his second goal of the season in a Carabao Cup third-round win at Lincoln City on Wednesday evening, is the only player to start at LNER Stadium and retain his place from that tie.
Jarrod Bowen will be seeking to score his fifth Premier League goal of the season and first on home soil, having equalled Vic Watson’s Club record by netting in the Irons’ first four away top-flight fixtures of the campaign. The England winger netted just six Premier League goals last season, but all of them came at London Stadium.
Alphonse Areola continues in goal in the Premier League and is seeking his first clean sheet of the season. The Frenchman did keep a clean sheet for Fulham in a 1-0 Premier League win over the Blades at Craven Cottage in February 2021.
Vladimír Coufal is at right-back, with Kurt Zouma skippering the side at centre-back alongside Nayef Aguerd, with Emerson at left-back.
Czech Souček starts in a midfield which also features Mexico international Edson Álvarez and Brazil star Lucas Paquetá.
James Ward-Prowse also starts in the middle of the park, and will be aiming to continue his fine start to life with the Hammers, which has seen him score twice and assist five goals in his first six games.
Bowen will support Michail Antonio in attack, with the Jamaica international targeting a sixth career goal against the Reds.
Moyes also has a wealth of attacking options on the bench, including Mohammed Kudus, Pablo Fornals, Maxwel Cornet, Danny Ings and Saïd Benrahma, whose corner set up Souček’s winner at Lincoln in midweek.
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Zouma ©, Aguerd, Emerson, Álvarez, Souček, Ward-Prowse, Paquetá, Bowen, Antonio
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Kehrer, Mavropanos, Ogbonna, Fornals, Kudus, Cornet, Benrahma, Ings
Sheffield United: Foderingham, Bogle, Egan ©, Ahmedhodžić, Robinson, Thomas, Souza, McAtee, Hamer, Archer, McBurnie
Subs: A.Davies (GK), Larouci, Trusty, Basham, Norwood, T.Davies, Ben Slimane, Traoré, Brewster
Referee: Graham Scott
