Final week is almost here, but all the talk of Sunday’s trip to Wembley can’t distract us from a huge Premier League game at the London Stadium on Monday night.
With our league form a concern – we’ve lost four of our last six – and top six rivals Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brighton all winning over the weekend, we’ve slipped down to 9th in the table.
This is our game in hand (we have two on Villa) and we’ll be back in sixth with a win, but it feels important for so many reasons. For points, momentum, confidence and belief heading into the cup final and final few months of a season that’s currently on a knife edge after our recent dip, FA Cup exit and the sudden loss of Lewis Hall, Sven Botman and Anthony Gordon to injury or suspension.
Howe’s pre-match comments
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**On Gordon, Hall and Botman blows** – “It’s not been the best of weeks, it’s been one of those weeks that challenges you in the job that I’m in, but I think you always need a level head, you need clear thinking and you need to put it always into perspective, we still have a really strong squad, we still have a really strong team.
“We’re gonna miss the players (Hall, Botman and Gordon) that we’re gonna lose and that’s a big disappointment – but it’s always someone else’s opportunity and we have to look at it that way.
**On Isak’s fitness** – “He’s fine. He came off (on Sunday) feeling fatigued, a tightness in his body, but he’s trained every day this week,” Howe said on Isak.”
**On ‘resting’ players for the final** – “The focus is on West Ham. It’s a Premier League game. Our Premier League form is hugely important to us and we need to get back on track in that respect.
“We need to feel the momentum of winning and the best chance we have of winning any cup is to go into the game feeling as good as we can. The only way to feel good is to win, so we will pick our strongest team.
“Resting players doesn’t even come into my head. If you think a player not playing for two weeks before a huge game is good for them then that’s not the case. They need regular football to give them the best chance of being fit, but also performing, so those players will play.”
“We can’t lose that focus on the Premier League. Despite the outside noise (on injuries and the final next Sunday), I see a determination to do well in the game.”
Team news
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Alexander Isak is “fine” after fatigue forced him off in our FA Cup defeat to Brighton, but Lewis Hall (ankle) and Sven Botman (knee) are both absent ahead of operations.
Anthony Gordin begins his three-match ban and Joelinton is fit, but one yellow card away from a two game suspension in the Premier League.
For West Ham, Michail Antonio, Niclas Fullkrug and Crysensio Summerville remain out, with Lucas Paqueta and Vladimir Coufal in contention to return.
Predicted line-up
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**(4-3-3):** Dubravka – Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento – Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton – Murphy, Isak, Willock.
Howe’s comments on ‘resting’ players for the final were telling. It was an emphatic no, as he sees Monday’s game as key to building form, fitness and momentum; for the final and for our push for Europe in the Premier League.
Dubravka mad a few good stops against Brighton and him starting that game may have been a result of Pope looking sluggish since returning to the side against Forest and Liverpool.
With Livramento all set to come in at left-back in Hall’s absence, Trippier should continue at right-back, with Burn and Schar pretty nailed on at centre-back without Botman; unless Howe finds a place for the reliable Krafth.
Now Gordon is out, the one natural left-winger available is Barnes. However, he’s done very little to impress in recent months – he lacks intensity, goes missing in games and just doesn’t offer enough – so I can see us returning to that left-sided combination of Joelinton and Joe Willock.
Slightly harsh on Miley, who would then miss out, but I think the two Joe’s will be Howe’s left-side answer in Gordon’s absence, unless he shifts to the back five system that worked so well against Arsenal in that Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.
Match prediction
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Lately, we’ve lost our way a little, lost key players and lost belief in our hopes of a top five finish or cup final victory at Wembley.
However, I think the recent setbacks might just rally the troops and focus minds heading into our biggest week of the season by some distance.
I’m going for a win in London and Isak brace; hopefully a sign of things to come in our first of two huge games in the capital this coming week.
**Prediction:** West Ham 1-2 Newcastle
Howay the lads!