The last 16 of the EFL Cup pits two London rivals against each other on Wednesday night as Arsenal travel to West Ham’s London Stadium. Neither club has had much luck in this competition in recent years; you have to go back to 1993 for the last time the Gunners lifted this trophy but that pales compared to West Ham, who have lost both finals they competed in, the most recent in 1981.
Both managers are expected to rotate their squads as they try to juggle commitments in Europe and the Premier League with Arsenal battling through injuries to two key players in Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey. Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know:
Viewing information
- Date: Wednesday, Nov. 1 | Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Emirates Stadium, London
- Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: West Ham +210; Draw +240; Arsenal +105
Storylines
West Ham: After a bright start to the season results have tapered off dramatically for David Moyes’ side, who have lost their last three in the league and Europe, their only wins against top division opposition since the start of September coming against Luton Town and Sheffield United. Goals have been a struggle of late with the manager admitting he was “trying to find a way of becoming a bit more open and get some more attacks”.
The presence of Lucas Paqueta in particular and even Edson Alvarez could help in that regard. With both suspended for the Premier League game against Brentford on Saturday, Moyes has hinted that these two key players could feature.
Arsenal: He may be held in reserve with an eye on Saturday’s trip to Newcastle United but Declan Rice is in line to make his first return to the London Stadium since his £105 million departure from West Ham in the summer. It promises to be a momentous night for the England international, who moved from east London to north as a European trophy-winning captain.
“He’s fit and can be involved,” said Mikel Arteta. “It will be his first time back at his old club and a beautiful moment I think for him. I think it’s beautiful. I had the experience to do it a few times and then you really see what they think of you and what you left at the club. It’s a really good way to measure your experience and your reality within the reality of the people who share moments with you.”
Prediction
Whilst the presence of Paqueta could ask questions of a rotated Arsenal defense, the Gunners should have the depth to scrape through what should be a tough test. PICK: West Ham 0, Arsenal 1
KVSP