Written by Derby County vs West Ham
Can Derby upset the FA Cup odds against West Ham?
The Hammers find themselves just one point clear of the top-flight relegation zone, while the Rams sit fourth in the League One table – nine points inside the play-off places.
Derby kicked off their FA Cup campaign with a 7-2 aggregate victory over Torquay United, as the National League outfit forced a reply with an initial 2-2 draw.
The Rams then beat Newport County 2-1 before securing an easy 3-0 win against Barnsley to book their place in the fourth round.
Thanks to Tuesday’s 2-0 victory over Port Vale, Derby head into Monday’s clash on a 19-game unbeaten streak across all competitions – highlighting their outstanding form.
Having lost just five of their 27 League One matches this season, the Rams will fancy their chances of causing a classic FA Cup upset when West Ham come to town.
As for the Hammers, they have only managed to win five of their 20 Premier League games this term – recording three draws and 12 losses.
David Moyes’ side endured a seven-game winless run in the league between late October and mid-January, suffering six defeats in the process while firing four blanks.
It is worth noting, however, that West Ham have picked up a couple of positive results of late, beating Brentford 1-0 in the FA Cup before defeating Everton 2-0 in the league.
That said, the Hammers will need to be at their very best if they are to avoid embarrassment against in-form Derby at Pride Park.
Head-to-head: Derby and West Ham last met during the 2011-12 Championship campaign, with both sides winning on home soil that season.
In fact, the overall head-to-head record (1921-2011) is extremely tight: West Ham United (27); Derby County (24); draws (25).
Team news: The Derby duo of William Osula (3 goals, 1 assist) and David McGoldrick (2 goals, 1 assist) have starred in the FA Cup this season, with the Rams expected to field a full-strength starting XI.
On the flip side, West Ham look set to be without the injured pair of Gianluca Scamacca and Maxwel Cornet for the trip to Pride Park.
Given West Ham’s league struggles, Moyes is likely to name a weakened team for this cup clash – giving Derby an even greater chance of causing an upset.
For that reason, Forebet predicts that Derby will extend their unbeaten streak to 20 games on Monday – knocking the Hammers out of the FA Cup.
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