2023-24 FA Cup: Round Three Replays – Bristol City vs West Ham

Bristol City host West Ham at Ashton Gate in a Third Round replay in the 2023-24 FA Cup. 

Victory would see either Bristol City or West Ham host the winner of Blackpool’s replay against Nottingham Forest in the Fourth Round.

 

Team News

Mark Sykes is unlikely to return for Bristol City as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

Kal Naismith (hamstring), Rob Atkinson and Ayman Benarous (both ACL) remain absent.

West Ham will be without Lucas Paqueta after he suffered a calf injury in their initial meeting in East London.

Jarrod Bowen is also ruled out after he suffered an ankle injury during the 1-1 draw, meaning that he too will miss this replay.

Vladimir Coufal and Kontantinos Macropanos (both knock) are doubts but Mohammed Kudus, Nayef Aguerd (both international) and Michail Antonio (knee) remain absent.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Bristol City host West Ham at Ashton Gate on Tuesday 16 January in a 7:45pm GMT kick-off, live on BBC One in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Bristol City are winless in three previous FA Cup meetings against West Ham (D1, L2).
• West Ham won their only previous FA Cup visit to Bristol City by 1-0 result in January 2015, in the Fourth Round of that season’s competition.
• This is Bristol City’s first FA Cup tie against West Ham to go to a replay.
• Bristol City have lost each of their two FA Cup replays at home to top-flight opposition this century (L2).
• West Ham are playing away to lower league opposition in a FA Cup replay for the first time this century, having last done so in a 1-0 defeat at Swansea in January 1999 at this stage after a 1-1 draw in initial tie.

 

Prediction

After a scrappy draw in East London, Bristol City must now raise their game again after a lacklustre cutting edge in their defeat at Preston which now means that the Robins come into this game with one goal in their last four matches in all competitions and in need of sharper end product.

West Ham meanwhile will be without two of their most creative players in Paqueta and Bowen but it is a chance for players like Danny Ings plus some youngsters to step up, because I can see David Moyes handing chances to a few youth players like Oliver Scarles and Divin Mubama.

I however do expect West Ham to prevail if they can adapt and find new ways of producing the goods without three of their four top goalscorers, otherwise Bristol City might just have the edge if can find that end product on their home turf.

Prediction: Bristol City 0-1 West Ham

Result: Bristol City 1-0 West Ham