Mohammed Kudus decision made in one change – West Ham United confirmed XI v Newcastle United
David Moyes has made one change to his West Ham starting XI for Saturday’s (30 March) Premier League clash with Newcastle United.
As expected, Alphonse Areola keeps his place in between the sticks for the Hammers at St James’ Park, with Kurt Zouma and Konstantinos Mavropanos being deployed as the centre-back partnership. Both Emerson Palmieri and Vladimir Coufal remain at the full-back spots, where they have been mainstays this season.
James Ward-Prowse comes in at the expense of the suspended Edson Alvarez to partner Tomas Soucek, with key midfielder Kalvin Phillips once again remaining on the bench.
Mohammed Kudus’ involvement is a relief after the forward didn’t link up with Ghana during the international window due to injury. He joins Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio to lead the attack against Newcastle.
West Ham announced the lineup via its official X account.
Can West Ham United overcome Newcastle United to claim top-six spot?
Three points against the Magpies could possibly see the Hammers move into sixth place above Manchester United if they are able to score a handful of goals.
This is not out of the question, having fired four goals past Brentord, three past Everton and five past Freiburg in recent weeks. However, the victory will be the key target for Moyes.
The Scot has been under considerable pressure at the London Stadium, especially since the start of 2024, as West Ham went on an eight-game winless streak before defeating Brentford at the end of February.
This afternoon’s starting XI ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/7Mzs3HEJVu
— West Ham United (@WestHam) March 30, 2024
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The situation under Moyes seems to have reached a turning point, however, with the team achieving some steady results.
But with a huge Europa League fixture against Bayer Leverkusen on the horizon, the Hammers must try to take as much confidence from the upcoming games against Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves.
In other West Ham news, another update has emerged on David Moyes’ future.
