West Ham vs Fulham – News and Probable Lineups

On Tuesday, West Ham United will host familiar foes Fulham at the London Stadium for a clash in the third round of the EFL Cup.

The Irons are aiming for their fifth consecutive victory this midweek, while the Cottagers are keen to build on their recent draw.

Match overview

Although West Ham, managed by Nuno Espirito Santo, was relegated from the Premier League last season, they approach this fixture in strong form and have confidence as they face their London rivals.

The Irons convincingly defeated Wrexham 6-0 on Friday, marking their fourth straight win, and placing them at the top of the Championship table, raising fans’ hopes for an immediate return to the top flight.

Nuno’s team will be optimistic about carrying that league success into the EFL Cup, especially since they have netted an impressive 16 goals in their last four matches.

In the second round of the cup, West Ham comfortably overcame Southampton with a 4-1 victory at St Mary’s on August 25, thanks to two goals from 19-year-old Joshua Ajala, as well as late efforts from Taty Castellanos and star player Jarrod Bowen.

Led by Bowen, the hosts will be excited about the possibility of facing Premier League opposition once more, encouraged by the fact that they are unbeaten since their last EFL Cup encounter and have tasted defeat just once in the 2026-27 season.

Conversely, Alvaro Arbeloa has faced challenges in his early tenure as Fulham manager, managing to secure just one point so far in the Premier League.

That point came in their latest match, while Arbeloa’s only prior win this season occurred in the second round of this competition.

In their last game, Fulham held Liverpool to a 0-0 stalemate at Anfield on Saturday, and they could have secured a notable victory if not for a crucial goal-line clearance by Reds defender Jeremy Jacquet.

Even without scoring, that display will offer the team some optimism, a sentiment further bolstered by their comfortable 3-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon in their previous EFL Cup clash.

Nevertheless, Fulham’s goalless draw away at Liverpool implies that they have not found the net in their travels this season, a reality that will weigh on the minds of the players heading to the London Stadium this midweek.

Team News

West Ham will be without right-back Joel Veltman, who is sidelined due to a muscle injury, but Kyle Walker-Peters is expected to start alongside Airidas Golambeckis and Max Kilman in Nuno’s backline.

Meanwhile, midfielder Tomas Soucek is also out as he continues to recover from an ankle injury, so Lewis Orford and Mohamadou Kante are anticipated to feature in the central midfield, similar to what they did against Southampton in the previous round.

As for Fulham, Tom Cairney is projected to be unavailable until next month following knee surgery, and Arbeloa is likely to deploy Shea Charles and Harrison Reed in a central midfield partnership, with Emile Smith Rowe playing in the number 10 position.

Backup goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte started against Wimbledon and might return to the XI, shielded by centre-backs Joachim Andersen and Jorge Cuenca.

At the forward position, Rodrigo Muniz may take on the striking duties on Tuesday, with support from the wings provided by Kevin and Oscar Bobb.

West Ham United probable starting XI:

Herrick; Walker-Peters, Golambeckis, Kilman, Mayers; Bowen, Orford, Kante, Ajala; Mukasa; Piroe

Fulham probable starting XI:

Lecomte; Tete, Andersen, Cuenca, Sessegnon; Charles, Reed; Bobb, Smith Rowe, Kevin; Muniz

West Ham United have shown impressive form throughout this season, and their recent scoring rate suggests they could have success in the attacking phase, regardless of their lower-division status.

Fulham have encountered difficulties thus far in the 2026-27 campaign, and facing a challenging away match against the Irons may result in their elimination in what could be a closely contested fixture.