West Ham vs. Sunderland
Venue: Upton Park
Kick off: 1:45pm
Nigerian duo of Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses will on Saturday afternoon lead West Ham charge as they battle Sunderland at Upton Park in an English Premier League tie.
Dimitri Payet and Emenike both netted doubles after Moses opened the flood gate of goals at Ewood Park in their 5-1 trouncing of Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup fifth-round weekend last time out.
The Black Cats are still in real danger of going down this season and it will not be easy against a West Ham side fighting for a European finish.
Both sides finished the match with 10 men on Sunday, but West Ham have not lost Cheikhou Kouyate for an extended period after the Football Association overturned his straight red card, initially given for a professional foul.
Sunday’s quarter-final draw gave West Ham hope that they might face lower league Shrewsbury Town, but the League One side failed to cause an upset on Monday night, so Bilic’s side face a trip to 11-time winners, Manchester United, in the last eight.
While West Ham were in FA Cup action last weekend, Sunderland had a week off and one they perhaps would not have wanted given their impressive display against United on matchday 26 that may have given them some momentum.
It was a first win in five for Allardyce’s men as January signing Wahbi Khazri inspired the Black Cats to victory with a goal and an assist.
The Tunisian international also set one up in the previous week’s draw at Liverpool so clearly enjoys the big occasion.
Sunderland are still 19th but now just one point behind Norwich outside the drop zone, and there is definite hope that the Wearside club can escape the drop which at one point felt inevitable.
West Ham possible starting lineup: Adrian, Byram, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Kouyate, Noble, Obiang, Antonio, Valencia, Payet.
Sunderland possible starting lineup: Mannone, Yedlin, O’Shea, Kone, Van Aanholt, Rodwell, Cattermole, M’Vila, Khazri, N’Doye, Defoe.