Graham Potter may hand £25m star first ever West Ham start against Arsenal – sources. Graham Potter is considering a radical change to the West Ham team for Arsenal after the dismal performance against Brentford.
West Ham have been hit by a spate of injuries since Graham Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui.
Arsenal know the feeling at the moment. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta will be without a host of star attacking players when West Ham visit the Emirates on Saturday.
For most of Lopetegui’s seventh-month reign, the Hammers had actually been one of the club’s least impacted by injuries in the Premier League in terms of days missed by players.
That has all changed in the last two months, though. When Potter arrived, Michail Antonio, Jean-Clair Todibo and Jarrod Bowen were all out injured.
While Bowen and Todibo are now back, Lucas Paqueta, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and Vladimir Coufal will all be missing against Arsenal.
West Ham need points to maintain the gap to the bottom three and potential – if unlikely – relegation disaster. West Ham suffer Paqueta blow for Arsenal. Arsenal know they must win if they are to have any chance of overhauling league leaders Liverpool for the title.
The Gunners have been given a big carrot to chase against West Ham after Liverpool dropped two points in a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
Potter’s side were booed of at half-time and full-time of the 1-0 home defeat to Brentford last time out. West Ham’s first half performance was one of the worst seen during a dismal 14 months that has yielded just 13 wins in 52 matches.
And that was with Paqueta in the side. The Brazilian has been ruled out for a month after turning his ankle in training ahead of the Arsenal clash.
That – and the rotten display against the Bees – has given Potter some selection dilemmas. Mohammed Kudus and Carlos Soler would be the obvious replacements for Paqueta.
But both stank the London Stadium out in the defeat to Thomas Frank’s side.
Now Potter may hand a £25m star his first ever West Ham start against Arsenal according to sources. Hammers News understands the new boss is considering rewarding Paqueta’s fellow Brazilian Luis Guilherme with his full debut against the Gunners.
Guilherme was dubbed an 18-year-old sensation when West Ham paid Palmeiras £20m, rising to £25m, for him in the summer.
But he has barely featured since arriving at the London Stadium. Guilherme has played a grand total of 50 minutes across eight substitute appearances, seven of them in the Premier League.
The deal, done by Tim Steidten, has been been under scrutiny for some time. It was one of two signings – along with Fullkrug – that allegedly cost the German his job.
Guilherme has actually really impressed in cameos under Potter, though. Particularly at Chelsea where he showed a real determination to prove he is no flop.
West Ham were reportedly willing to sell the teen in January if they could recoup their original outlay. That angered many fans, who have been calling for the club to be patient with a player of undoubted potential.
Now sources inside West Ham have confirmed to Hammers News that Potter has been equally impressed by Guilherme. So much so that he is considering handing him his first start in place of Paqueta.
Sources suggest Potter seriously considering rewarding teen. The thinking is that he can’t do much worse than the other players have offered up this season.
“Guilherme really has the bit between his teeth at the moment and it has not gone unnoticed by the manager,” a top source told Hammers News ahead of Arsenal.
“Potter likes him a lot and he is the kind of player him and the new head of recruitment would target when looking at signings.
“Obviously things can change with two days to go until the game. But team shape and drills ahead of the game are pointing that way. So it seems there is serious consideration being given to Guilherme starting.
“Potter wants as much pace and energy in the side as possible.” Guilherme really could be an ace card for West Ham against Arsenal.
If Evan Ferguson starts up top and Jarrod Bowen out on the right, Kudus or Guilherme could play in the central and left positions.
Suddenly West Ham have lots of pace, power and youth in the forward line. This is how West Ham could line upt Arsenal with Guilherme making his first start:
