West Ham travel to Sincil Bank tonight, currently known as the ProAmpac Stadium, desperately needing three points after victories for Middlesbrough and Swansea last night opened up respective five and seven-point gaps above the Hammers.
Despite suffering just one defeat all season, four draws have left Nuno’s side playing catch-up. If West Ham are serious about automatic promotion, turning draws into victories has to become the priority.
With a trip to Swansea looming on Saturday, squad rotation could prove crucial this evening. However, Lincoln are unlikely to roll over and make life easy.
The two sides last met in September 2023 when a Tomas Soucek goal from a corner on 70 minutes secured a 1-0 victory for West Ham in a Carabao Cup third-round clash. Remarkably, only Tomas Soucek and Dinos Mavropanos remain from the starting XI that night, although Maxwel Cornet appears to still be somewhere around Rush Green!
Moyes the manager last time West Ham beat Lincoln City
David Moyes was in the West Ham dugout for that encounter, and while the Hammers dominated possession with 74%, it was Lincoln who registered more shots on target, six compared to West Ham’s three.
Currently sitting 17th in the table, a victory for the League One champions would move them to within two points of West Ham, highlighting just how open the division remains.
Lincoln are a well-organised, hard-working side who will likely be happy to sit deep, remain compact and look to exploit opportunities on the counter attack. If they can grab an early goal, they are exactly the sort of team capable of frustrating West Ham for long periods, which could make tonight’s televised fixture a frustrating watch for Hammers supporters.
As every West Ham fan knows, predicting which version of the team will turn up is never easy. I can see a scrappy contest with very little between the sides. A narrow victory for Nuno’s men feels the most likely outcome, but a draw certainly wouldn’t be a surprise.
Let’s hope the Hammers find a way to get the job done.
COYI!
It all depends on which team Nuno selects tonight and whether we start on the front foot or tamely give the initiative to the opposition
Lose the next two and it’ll be time to hit speed dial to Eddie Howe