By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
West Ham have been drawn away to Southampton in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s boys will travel to the south coast during the week commencing 24 August after beating Portsmouth 3-1 at the London Stadium in Saturday’s first-round tie.
Taty Castellanos scored twice and Jarrod Bowen added a 20-yard strike as the Hammers came from behind in front of a competition-record first-round crowd of 53,369.
Southampton booked their place with a 2-0 victory over League Two Colchester United.
A Tough Draw For Both Clubs
It’s possibly one of the most difficult ties West Ham could have been handed, and I can’t help thinking both clubs will view the fixture as something of an inconvenience given their Championship promotion ambitions.
Former Hammer Flynn Downes has already tipped Southampton to win promotion this season, so the game should provide an interesting early indication of where the two teams stand.
There could also be another familiar face waiting for West Ham.
As we reported earlier today, former Hammers academy striker Divin Mubama is closing in on a loan move to Southampton from Manchester City.
Should that deal be completed, West Ham could find themselves facing another former Hammer when the Carabao Cup resumes later this month.
A tough draw for sure Gonzo.
Personally I’ve written off the cups or a decent cup run.
Far too many league games for a thin unbalanced squad.
Primary objective is automatically being promoted.
With a few more additions to replace the ones that are undoubtedly leaving should hopefully get the job of promotion done.
It’s going to be a roller coaster of a season, let’s try to enjoy the ride!