AliousEverton vs West Ham:
Predicted Lineups Revealed Ahead of Espirito Santo’s First Game in Charge
The Premier League spotlight turns to the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night as Everton take on West Ham in a clash carrying high stakes for both managers.
The game will mark Nuno Espirito Santo’s debut in the Toffees’ dugout, while the Hammers arrive desperate to halt their slump.
Form Guide
Everton come into this fixture without a win in their last three matches, most recently falling 2-0 to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby before being knocked out of the EFL Cup by Wolves.
West Ham have endured their own struggles, suffering back-to-back league defeats. A 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace last weekend left them sitting 19th in the table and ultimately cost Graham Potter his job. Both teams badly need a result to regain momentum.
Everton Team News
David Moyes still has a largely healthy squad, but two key players remain unavailable.
Jarrad Branthwaite (hamstring) is expected back later this month, but he won’t feature here.
Merlin Rohl (groin) has missed two matches but could return soon; Monday will come too early for him.
Moyes confirmed both players are sidelined in his pre-match press conference:
> “[Branthwaite is] fine but not available for Monday. We expect him back with the group shortly. Same with Merlin.”
Predicted XI (Everton):
Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry.
Predicted Bench:
Travers (GK), Coleman, Patterson, Aznou, Iroegbunam, Alcaraz, Dibling, McNeil, Beto.
Moyes seems likely to persist with his current setup, with only the striker role in question.
Thierno Barry could keep his place after Beto’s poor outing against Liverpool, while Seamus Coleman is expected to remain among the substitutes despite featuring in midweek.
West Ham Team News
The Hammers’ squad is relatively fit, though there are two enforced absences.
Tomas Soucek is serving the second match of his three-game suspension following a red card against Spurs.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (abdomen) remains sidelined, but could return later this week.
Potter, speaking before his dismissal, had confirmed:
> “We’ll still be without Aaron (Wan-Bissaka), but otherwise the squad is ready.”
Predicted XI (West Ham):
Hermansen; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Diouf; Ward-Prowse, Fernandes; Bowen, Paquetá, Summerville; Fullkrug.
Predicted Bench:
Areola (GK), Scarles, Igor, Todibo, Irving, Magassa, Rodriguez, Guilherme, Wilson.
Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen is expected to be recalled after being dropped last time out, while Niclas Fullkrug looks set to lead the line again. This means costly squad members Alphonse Areola, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Callum Wilson are all likely to start on the bench.
The Verdict
Both sides enter Monday night’s showdown under pressure: Everton searching for stability under Nuno Espirito Santo, and West Ham fighting to climb away from the relegation zone.
With injury doubts and selection dilemmas shaping both lineups, this promises to be a fascinating tactical battle at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
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