Best Odds: 1/1
Bookmaker:
Looking to lay down another marker when they turn their attention back to Europa League duties on Thursday night, West Ham will welcome Rapid Vienna to the London Stadium.
West Ham
Starting with the hosts, while West Ham would have been left heartbroken by their last-gasp defeat against Manchester United earlier in the month, it appears that was just a minor blip for the Hammers. Only continuing to gain a string of plaudits from across the Premier League over the past 12 months, David Moyes side find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high. Extending on their EFL Cup adventure with an impressive 1-0 win at Old Trafford last week, the one-time Everton boss once again saw his side show their resolve on Saturday afternoon. Mounting an eye-catching comeback away at Elland Road over the weekend, West Ham came from 1-0 down to snatch an injury-time winner against Leeds. With attacking talisman Michail Antonio continuing on his own free-scoring run since opening the 2021/22 campaign, the east London outfit also laid down a real Europa League marker a fortnight ago. Making the trip out to a rugged Dinamo Zagreb side, Moyes men landed a deserved 2-0 victory on foreign soil.
Team News
Expected to make a host of changes in midweek, the likes of Alex Kral, Mark Noble, Issa Diop, Craig Dawson, and Ben Johnson are expected to come in on Thursday night.
However, with right-back Ryan Fredricks suffering an injury against Manchester United last week, Vladimír Coufal should once again start in David Moyes defence.
Rapid Vienna
As for the visitors, while West Ham might be enjoying an extended purple patch, the same cannot be said for a downbeat Rapid Vienna side. In the midst of what is becoming a real crisis, the former Austrian champions were last seen over the weekend putting in another dreadful display. Firmly battling it out at the foot of the Bundesliga table, Die Grün-Weißen were blown away thanks to a 3-0 drumming against Sturm Graz on home soil. With the pressure really starting to mount on Head Coach Dietmar Kühbauer, a hard-fought Cup victory against Admira last week appears to just be a minor boost for Vienna. Opening their Europa League adventure with a 1-0 loss against Genk at the Allianz Stadion a fortnight ago, Thursday s guests have lost four of their last five matchups across all formats. With just a single win to their name over the past five weeks, there is no doubt that Kühbauer s strugglers face a stern test in east London here.
Team News
Dealing with a real injury crisis, Thursday s guests will be without the likes of Christopher Dibon, Richard Strebinger, Oliver Strunz and Lion Schuster.
Key Factors to Consider
