All London Affair Awaits Hammers

In an interview with the club’s official podcast back on 22 August, West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen stated that one of his main goals for the season was to try and emulate last season’s achievement by Crystal Palace and win the Emirates FA Cup.

Well, his team have got what should be a favourable tie in which to start their campaign with, as they are at home to Sky Bet Championship side Queens Park Rangers. The encounter is set to be played between 9-12 January.

Back in 2024, the Hammers suffered a shock when they were knocked out of the competition, thanks to a 1-0 defeat to another Championship outfit in Bristol City after a replay at Ashton Gate, following a 1-1 draw in Stratford. The home faithful will be hoping the same doesn’t happen against Julien Stéphan’s side here.

In three of David Moyes’ four seasons at the helm in East London during his second spell, the Scotsman helped the Irons to the fifth round on each occasion but was unfortunately knocked out by the Robins at the first hurdle in his last campaign as manager.

The same happened to Graham Potter, who only had a day to prepare for the all-Premier League tie away at Aston Villa after succeeding Julen Lopetegui as Head-Coach. Despite grabbing an early advantage, Unai Emery’s team somehow managed to turn the game around in the second-half to bring another premature end to their progress.