The magic of the Emirates FA Cup is in full swing this weekend with another big night under the floodlights in store, as County welcome Premier League West Ham to Edgeley Park on Monday night looking to cause an upset and book a place in the Fourth Round.
The game against David Moyes’ Hammers will be our first in the Third Round of the Cup since 2007, a 4-1 defeat away at Watford in Jim Gannon’s first spell in charge of the Club. The last time we progressed beyond this stage came twenty years ago, where we went on to reach the Fifth Round as a Championship side.
Three time holders West Ham meanwhile will be looking for a good cup run to go with their strong start to the league season – although they currently sit 10th, their 1-0 win at Everton last time out left them just three points shy of the Champions League places in an incredibly congested Premier League table.
With the top-flight side having progressed from the Third Round in each of the last three seasons County go into the game as massive underdogs, but can take consolation from the fact that the Hammers are winless in their six competitive games at Edgeley Park, losing five and drawing one.
Our Opponents:
Despite several big money signings in recent years, last season proved to be one of real struggle for West Ham United, as they spent most of the campaign battling to retain their top-flight status.
Under the management of former Manchester City title winner Manuel Pellegrini the Hammers had finished 10th the previous season, but the tone for their campaign was set early on, with a 5-0 home defeat to Pellegrini’s former Club on opening day hinting at what was to come.
Despite notable wins against Manchester United and away at Chelsea, Pellegrini was relieved of his duties at the end of December following a run of nine defeats in 12 games, a sequence that left them one point above the drop zone.
Coming in to replace him was former United and Everton manager David Moyes, who returned for a second spell at the Olympic Stadium having previously spent six months there back in 2017-18.
He was bolstered in the January transfer window too, with the signings of winger Jarrod Bowen from Hull and Czech midfielder Tomas Soucek on loan from Slavia Prague, who has added a real physical presence to their midfield.
Despite those additions the Iron still initially struggled to find their feet under the Scotsman, with just two wins in his first twelve Premier League games in charge, but a dramatic stoppage time win against Chelsea after the restart sparked a strong finish to the campaign, as just one defeat in their final seven games saw them edge over the safety line, finishing the season in 16th.
That win against Chelsea also proved to be the catalyst for the return to form of striker Michael Antonio, whose incredible record of eight goals and an assist from those seven games saw him pick up the Premier League Player of the Month for July.
Determined to avoid another relegation slog, the side have again strengthened in the Summer, making Soucek’s loan deal permanent whilst also bringing in his international teammate Vladimir Coufal at right-back. Electric winger Said Benrahma has also joined on loan from local rivals Brentford.
Despite losing their first two league games of the new campaign, the Hammers have since shown signs of a side capable of challenging in the top half of the table once again, becoming incredibly hard to beat as Moyes begins to shape the side in his image.
Big, powerful, and adept from set pieces, they have gone from strength to strength in recent months, picking up big victories over Wolves and Leicester, whilst claiming impressive points against Manchester City and Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur, where they came from 3-0 down late on to snatch a draw.
In fact, in their last 15 Premier League games only Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea have managed to come away with three points when facing West Ham, emphasising the size of the task facing the Hatters on Monday night.
But this is the FA Cup, and County can take comfort in the fact that West Ham have made a habit in recent years of struggling against lower division sides, most recently losing to Championship West Brom last season and League One AFC Wimbledon the year before.
In an FA Cup season like no other, already filled with shocks and giant killings, and with history on County’s side, Monday’s game could yet prove to be another famous night in County’s history.
Match Stats:
- Of the fourteen previous meetings between the two sides County have the current advantage, with seven wins to West Ham’s four – six of those victories have come at Edgeley Park, where we are unbeaten against the Hammers.
- John Rooney has scored four goals already in this season’s competition, and has scored in each of the rounds he has played in so far.
- County will be looking to defeat top-flight opposition for the first time since 1996/97, where Sean Connelly’s goal earned us a 1-0 win against Middlesbrough at the Riverside, in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final.
- If selected, Adam Thomas will make his 150th Stockport County appearance in this game.
