West Ham host Everton on Saturday afternoon in a huge clash that could define both the relegation battle and the race for Europe.
West Ham are just two points above the drop zone and need all three points against the Toffees to guarantee a third consecutive week above 18th-placed Spurs.
Meanwhile, Everton are 10th but only three points behind 6th-placed Brighton and need to bounce back from a very late defeat to Liverpool last time out by winning to keep their hopes of qualifying for European competition alive.
It’s also David Moyes’ first time back at London Stadium since leaving the club in 2024, and he will absolutely want to leave his old stomping ground with all the points in his back pocket, for obvious reasons.
Nuno Espirito Santo has named an unchanged XI for the last two games – the 4-0 win at home to Wolves and 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace – and given he has confirmed he has no injury concerns ahead of this weekend, it would understandably be tempting to name the same XI for a third week running.
But we’ve reached a stage where a change in the XI and the overall formation, even just slightly, might just unlock another level of quality and form which could help the Hammers get over the line and live to fight another day.
Indeed, a change like that could backfire but it was very clear against Crystal Palace on Monday night that a slight tweak in the final third is probably what’s needed to get the team firing.
A change of role for Bowen
Jarrod Bowen v Man City
Jarrod Bowen v Man City. (Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jarrod Bowen has been the lynchpin for West Ham once again this season, registering double figures for goals in all competitions for a fifth consecutive season.
Despite that, he hasn’t been as prolific as he could be this season, with his last goal in the Premier League coming way back in January, in the 3-2 defeat away at Chelsea.
He’s registered six Premier League assists since then, and did bag a brace against Brentford in the FA Cup, but West Ham need him on the scoresheet as often as possible between now and the end of the season to further boost their survival chances.
So perhaps opting to play the captain in a more central position, either as a No.10 behind Taty Castellanos or as a shadow striker, could help unlock Bowen’s goal threat further.
Bowen’s record as a second striker in his career isn’t fantastic, with four goals and five assists in 16 appearances. But his record as a centre-forward is far better – 31 goals and 15 assists in 72 appearances.
If Bowen is moved more centrally, that would obviously mean Pablo would have to miss out on the starting XI against Everton, which would be harsh given his impressive performances and link up with Taty since arriving in January.
It would also mean the right-wing position will need to be filled, with Adama Traore the obvious player to come and step into Bowen’s shows in that role.
A front four of Traore, Bowen, Taty and Crysensio Summerville, with Bowen and Taty overloading centrally, would most likely give Everton’s defence a tough afternoon.
So this is how I think Nuno might line-up against the Toffees on Saturday afternoon…
West Ham predicted XI v. Everton