West Ham United vs AFC Bournemouth Predictions

• West Ham are unbeaten in six meetings with Bournemouth
• The Cherries have failed to win any of their last five Premier League games over this season and last
• Bournemouth have lost six of their last eight EFL Cup away games

Hammers can show their ambitions

West Ham’s strong summer of investment should mean that they have ambitions of challenging for some domestic silverware and the League Cup provides the perfect opportunity for them to do that.

The Hammers now have some excellent depth to their squad following the arrivals of Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo and Guido Rodríguez and last season’s quarter-finalists should be confident of recording a second-round victory at home Premier League rivals Bournemouth.

West Ham defeated Arsenal 3-1 at home in the fourth round last season and in the 2021-2022 season they edged past Manchester City on penalties at the same stage before bumping into Tottenham in the quarter-final.

Quick turnaround for Bournemouth

Julen Lopetegui’s side built on a promising defeat to Aston Villa in their Premier League opener by dispatching Crystal Palace 2-0 on Saturday and they’ve had an extra day to prepare then Bournemouth, who were held 1-1 at home to Newcastle on Sunday.

The Cherries also drew their opening league game 1-1 at Nottingham Forest and that means they have won only two of their last ten competitive away trips.

Bournemouth have failed to win any of their last six competitive meetings with the Irons and six of their last eight EFL Cup away ties have resulted in defeat.

Andoni Iraola’s men have lost plenty of goals following Dominic Solanke’s move to Tottenham, so a well-invested West Ham may be able to run out 2-0 winners just as they did at Palace on Saturday.