David Moyes clearly isn’t taking any chances with his West Ham team selection for their final Europa League group game against Freiburg.
The Hammers go into the match top of Group A, level on points with their opponents but above them by virtue of beating them in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season.
It’s very much a winner takes all fixture as whomever finishes top of the group will have safe passage into the next round.
Your team for tonight ?? pic.twitter.com/d10NeOltzo
— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 14, 2023
Moyes certainly won’t want the arduous issue of a play-off before any participation in the round of 16 is secured, and that should be enough to sharpen the east Londoner’s minds.
The Scot is starting the match with a strong XI, as follows:
Fabianski
Coufal – Mavropanos – Aguerd – Emerson
Alvarez
Ward-Prowse – Soucek – Paqueta
Kudus – Bowen
Knowing that just one goal from the visitors could be enough for them to leapfrog the hosts should mean that the Hammers take the game to their opponents from the first whistle.
That’s certainly the attitude that they need to adopt, rather than the safety first game that’s often associated with a David Moyes side.
With both Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen in decent goalscoring form, it’s imperative that they’re given the service to make the result a formality.