Luton vs. West Ham: Preview and betting tips

Friday’s fourth-round preliminary game will be more interesting than it seems at first glance. Luton will welcome West Ham to the refurbished stadium, what to expect from a match between teams from opposite ends of the table?

Luton had a tough draw to start with. First they went down 1-4 to Brighton, then lost 0-3 at Chelsea. The second leg against Burnley was postponed due to stadium repairs, so the fourth leg will be a big debut.

West Ham, on the other hand, have started well. After a draw at home to Bournemouth, they beat Chelsea in the London derby and then surprisingly knocked out Brighton. This means that they are only two points behind Manchester City.

Luton’s key figures

The home side rely on goals from Carlton Morris, he became Luton’s first ever Premier League goalscorer in the first round. Marvelous Nakamba is used to being in midfield since last year, the African footballer already has experience in the Premier League.

West Ham’s key figures

Mikhail Antonio has thrived from the start of the season, with the tidy striker scoring superb goals for both Chelsea and Brighton. James Ward-Prowse has managed to score once in the two rounds since arriving from Southampton, adding two assists.

Prediction

Luton have a purely second division roster a week before the end of the transfer window, which is showing everywhere except in midfield. The defence simply isn’t up to speed, the attack isn’t dangerous, the 1:7 scoreline says it all.

On the other hand, the Hammers offensive has taken off, seven shots in three rounds is a par for David Moyes’ defensive tactics, especially with the arrival of Ward-Prowse, West Ham have started to be properly dangerous. From the bench, Said Benrahma can change the game.

Considering the differences in the performances of the two teams so far, the form of the reinforcement of Ward-Prowse and the quality of the West Ham bench, I think the visitors will win on their debut at the renovated stadium.

Betting tip l West Ham win at odds of 1.81