West Ham United managed to bolster their squad by adding two more fresh faces on deadline day. The Hammers did well to acquire the services of Nikola Vlasic from CSKA Moscow and Alex Kral (on loan) from Spartak Moscow which should give David Moyes more options in terms of his team selection this season.
The East London outfit will probably set themselves up in a familiar 4-2-3-1 formation but only time will tell whether Vlasic and Kral can earn a regular starting spot at the London Stadium. West Ham have made a solid start to this Premier League season after picking up seven points from their first three league matches. Moyes would now demand more from his players so that they can push for a top-six finish next year.
4-2-3-1 West Ham United Strongest Lineup Including Vlasic
Defence
Alphonse Areola is likely to be Moyes’ first-choice keeper this season following his arrival on loan from Paris Saint-Germain earlier this summer. Kurt Zouma is expected to be a regular starter alongside Angelo Ogbonna at the heart of the Hammers backline.
Aaron Cresswell will be a nailed-on starter at left-back while Vladimír Coufal fills in as West Ham’s primary right-back. Both of them will have to defend well and also offer some decent service to their teammates up top if they want to retain their first-team status after the international break.
Midfield
Declan Rice will probably get the nod to anchor the midfield along with Tomas Soucek, who should edge out Alex Kral because of his goal-scoring ability in the final third. Said Benrahma has already made a big impact at the London Stadium this season, it is tough to see how he won’t get a start for West Ham down the left flank.
Pablo Fornals will carry a major share of the creative workload for the Hammers on the right-wing. Nikola Vlasic will get a chance to prove his worth from the number ten position so that he can operate on the shoulders of Michail Antonio and cause plenty of problems for the opposition defenders.
Attack
Michail Antonio remains Moyes’ undisputed centre-forward up top. He is currently enjoying a rich vein of form in front of the opponent’s goal, so West Ham will rely on him to bang in the goals every week in the Premier League this season.
