To demonstrate that he is taking the Europa League seriously, West Ham manager David Moyes has selected a solid starting lineup for the team’s trip to Freiburg.
Star players James Ward-Prowse, Jarrod Bowen, and Lucas Paqueta all get to play right away, and headline summer acquisition Mohammed Kudus gets to make just his second start for the Hammers—a move that might put Michail Antonio on notice.
The Ghanian star’s arrival marked the culmination of what, given the late activity, turned out to be a very robust transfer window, but so far, he has only been able to make a few late substitute appearances in the Premier League.
After scoring twice as a wide attacker behind Danny Ings in the 3-1 victory against Backa Topola on September 21, it looks that Kudus is in the center striker’s position this time, unless Moyes intends to utilize Bowen as a false-nine in Germany.
Late in the transfer window, West Ham put a lot of effort into trying to recruit a striker, but their pursuits of Luiz Alberto and Hugo Ekitike failed, so now former Ajax player Kudus gets to demonstrate why that need not matter.
Antonio had a fantastic start to the season, scoring in victories against Chelsea and Brighton. However, he has failed to score in five matches since then, including the setback at Liverpool.
Kudus’ versatility was used as an excuse for the club’s failure to sign a striker in the summer, and he has since been given the chance to excel in that position for a crucial European match.
There is a good chance that he will finally make his Premier League debut if he can build off his game-winning performance in the most recent group stage victory. However, given that Antonio is arguably the most susceptible attacking player to injury, the trip to Germany could spell the end for the Jamaican international.
Gianluca Scamacca is not completely written off after seeing him play, and at 33 that was always going to happen sooner or later, but Kudus is a potential star at the London Stadium who supporters have been itching to see more of.
The big-money guy has been given the chance to stake his claim here, and if he takes it, he has the ability to hold onto the spot in the starting XI for long time. Moyes is prone to being slow to trust newcomers, and this seems to be the case with Kudus thus far.
The start of the European season ultimately went off without too many hiccups, so the Hammers will want to take advantage of this as they attempt to advance to the knockout stages.
However, last season’s Europa Conference League victory saved an otherwise disastrous campaign. Some clubs view the Europa League as little more than an afterthought unless they find themselves in the later rounds.
Without the trophy win, Moyes would have probably been fired in the summer. He also understands the value of success after a stirring run to the competition’s semifinals the year prior.
Therefore, Kudus and possibly fellow summer addition Konstantinos Mavropanos have a great chance to secure their spots at West Ham by playing away against arguably the hardest team in the group.
