**West Ham play Burton Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup at 12:15pm on Saturday.**
The Hammers have been in great form since the competition’s third round, where they defeated Queens Park Rangers 2–1 after extra time. Since then, West Ham have picked up ten points from five league games. After drawing with in-form Manchester United last Tuesday, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side now face a completely different opponent: Burton Albion of League One.
Interestingly, this will be the first time the sides have met in a competitive encounter. The only previous meeting came in a friendly in 2010, when the Hammers lost 4–2.
Burton saw off National League side Boreham Wood with a resounding 5–0 victory in round three. However, Gary Bowyer’s side have struggled in the league this season and, like West Ham, find themselves just inside the relegation zone.
Although it is refreshing to see West Ham draw a lower-league side in round four, the Irons have a mixed history against League One opposition in the FA Cup, particularly when playing away from home, as they will on Saturday.
One of their more embarrassing results was a 4–2 defeat to AFC Wimbledon during the 2018/19 season – and with Burton currently struggling and playing at home, they should be right up for a big-name distraction from league football.
That said, West Ham should also be looking forward to the game. They have momentum after stringing together points and impressive performances, and this current run of form began in the last round of the cup. A win on Saturday could further boost the confidence of Nuno’s side.
Pablo Felipe is expected to miss the fixture through injury, with Nuno admitting he is unsure how long he will be out for. Callum Wilson is expected to start up front, with Taty Castellanos waiting in the wings to come on.
The boss has confirmed that goalkeeper Alphonse Areola will start the tie. The Frenchman has recently been dropped to the bench, with Nuno favouring Mads Hermansen between the sticks in the Premier League.
Jean-Clair Todibo misses the game through suspension, while Max Kilman could make his first start in all competitions since the Irons’ third-round tie last month.
Despite being tight on numbers, Nuno’s selection in the last round suggests he wants to field a strong starting XI in the cup.
While Premier League survival remains the priority, it would be encouraging to see the manager view this game as an opportunity to build on his side’s current momentum.
**Predicted XI:** Areola, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Scarles, Magassa, Potts, Fernandes, Bowen, Traoré, Wilson.
Kick-off on Saturday is at 12:15pm. COYI!