Southampton vs West Ham Preview
Trying to second-guess Julen Lopetegui’s team selection is a tough one to call, largely due to the poor performances of Emerson and Niclas Füllkrug against Brighton in the previous Premier League fixture, but I’ll give it a go.
Fabiański in goal is one of the first names on the team sheet—a bit of a tap-in—but right-back is harder to call. Personally, I’d start Coufal at right-back and shift Aaron Wan-Bissaka to cover for Emerson, who looked either lazy or knackered against the Seagulls.
That being said, I suspect Lopetegui will go for a back four of Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, and Emerson against the Saints. Mavropanos was hooked at half-time last Saturday and has probably made one mistake too many to warrant keeping the shirt.
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The midfield is probably the easiest to call, with Álvarez, Souček, and Soler straightforward selections for the Hammers’ gaffer.
In attack, I think Lopetegui will drop Füllkrug after a lacklustre showing against Brighton. Much was made about what the German brought to the team, but it was telling that West Ham scored immediately after his substitution, with the type of movement from Jarrod Bowen that Füllkrug simply can’t replicate.
For that reason, I believe he’ll start the Irons captain up front, with Mohammed Kudus and Crysencio Summerville in the wide positions.
Predicted Lopetegui Line-Up: Fabiański, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson, Álvarez, Souček, Soler, Kudus, Summerville, Bowen.
Gonzo’s XI: Fabiański, Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Wan-Bissaka, Álvarez, Orford, Soler, Bowen, Summerville, Kudus (CF).
let me know what you think J-Lo will ick in the comments below and no cheeky cheating by posting the predicted line-ups AFTER the game 😉⚒️