Julen Lopetegui makes Konstantinos Mavropanos error – West Ham United confirmed XI v Tottenham. Mavropanos out of his West Ham United starting XI for the clash against Tottenham on Saturday (19 October).
The Hammers posted the confirmed lineup on X [19 October], naming an unchanged side from the 4-1 win against Ipswich Town before the international break.
While the Spaniard has opted to stick with the side that recorded his first win at the London Stadium after three consecutive losses, Mavropanos has been exceptional on international duty with Greece and the in-form centre-back should be disappointed to miss out.
West Ham United will need Konstantinos Mavropanos
Lopetegui has opted to go down the safe route in his team selection against Spurs and this decision could ultimately prove to be his downfall.
Mavropanos has been enjoying the form of his life with Greece, with the 26-year-old integral to his nation’s 100 per cent start in the UEFA Nations League and was a pivotal figure in the historic 2-1 win against England at Wembley.
Jean Clair-Todibo has seemingly displaced the Greek in the pecking order in East London and while the Frenchman looks more and more promising as he adapts to the Premier League, Max Kilman has no excuses for his underwhelming start to his Hammers career.
The 27-year-old has underperformed far below the standard expected of him considering the £40million outlay the Irons coughed up to secure his signature from Wolves in the summer.
East London’s XI ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/GmNbdOAkLn
— West Ham United (@WestHam) October 19, 2024
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Lopetegui had the opportunity to reward a player in form, and he has let the defender down massively with his decision.
With Son Heung-min returning to the side for the hosts, the Hammers backline will have their work cut out for them in North London against a high-level Premier League attack.
It would be a shame for the Irons to be dismantled at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium because of the manager’s error, but only time will tell whether Lopetegui made the right choice.
West Ham United injury blow ahead of Tottenham clash a blessing in disguise. West Ham United may be counting their blessings come the final whistle against Tottenham on Saturday (19 October) with Michail Antonio set to lead the line.
Niclas Fullkrug has been ruled out once again after suffering a setback in his rehabilitation and is believed to be “still some way” from his comeback [Alex Crook].
Julen Lopetegui has two options to replace the German: Jarrod Bowen can be selected as a makeshift striker, a role he has proven more than capable of playing, or he can place his trust in Michail Antonio.
Antonio ended a six-match barren run in front of goal, opening the scoring inside the first few minutes of the 4-1 win against Ipswich Town, and there is no one he loves playing against more than Tottenham.
Michail Antonio could be the secret weapon for West Ham United
The 34-year-old has become a part of the furniture in East London but the contingency plan to ease the forward out of the first team frame has not gone to plan for Lopetegui.
Danny Ings proved he can play a role when called upon after his 95 minute equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Fulham but he is seemingly not in the boss’ plans and will surely spend his time during Fullkrug’s layoff on the bench. Antonio remains an important player for this Hammers’ side nine years since his move from Nottingham Forest.
While Fullkrug would have surely lined up against Tottenham had the German been deemed fit, a perfect opportunity has presented itself for Lopetegui to unleash a secret weapon against his London rivals.
Antonio has scored six goals against Spurs in 14 matches, the most he has scored against any other Premier League side in his career [Transfermarkt].
