A Saturday lunchtime kick-off beckons for West Ham as we play Burton Albion Football Club in the FA Cup Fourth Round at the Pirelli Stadium.
Nicknamed The Brewers and founded in 1950, the League One minnows have spent most of their history in non-league football before rising through the English pyramid in the 2000s and 2010s.
Their rise to the Football League in 2009 and then to the Championship by 2016 remains one of the most impressive modern underdog stories in English football. However, since relegation from the Championship in 2018, Burton have remained in League One, typically finishing mid-table. This season, similar to the Hammers, they have struggled and sit just inside the relegation zone, one point adrift of safety, having won just one of their last nine games.
FA Cup Clash Has All the Ingredients for a Cup Upset
The game carries all the elements of a classic FA Cup giant-killing story, which is why TNT Sports are eager to broadcast it, marking the first competitive meeting between the two sides.
On paper, West Ham should be overwhelming favourites—but cup football isn’t played on paper. The League One team will thrive on being underdogs and will offer the Hammers a stern test.
Nuno Espírito Santo said in his press conference: “We’re going to compete; we’re going to try and go through”—but he has also hinted at squad rotation, meaning a likely return between the sticks for Alphonse Areola.
West Ham remain strong favourites, with the bookies offering 2/5 on a Hammers win, but Burton Albion are exactly the kind of side that can turn a routine cup tie into a battle if given the slightest encouragement. The best odds on a Burton win are a whopping 77/10!
The tie offers a welcome break from the pressure of Premier League survival. Let’s just hope West Ham turn up on the day and avoid any potential slip-ups.
Nuno can hardly say anything other than we are going to compete. However I for one hope we lose tomorrow with none of the team who played on Tuesday starting. we have 12 cup finals to play and cannot risk any of the first team getting injured with our small squad
I’d be very surprised.
Burton are on poor form, fourth bottom of league one, with one win in their last six. When teams are on good form at the top of their leagues they can raise their games and be a threat but that’s a very different proposition for a team doing badly.
I think a West Ham win in ninety minutes, not a walkover but not a real challenge either.
A win is inevitable, the interesting thing is by how many.
Yes I would love us to go through convincingly., biggest fear would be any additional injuries we pickup . Having a small pool of experienced players hopefully means a weaker side can win without having to use our best .