West Ham to make changes for Arsenal cup clash with Manuel Lanzini ‘dive’ under FA scrutiny

David Moyes will be forced into making significant changes for West Ham’s League Cup quarter-final at Arsenal.

The Hammers demolished Stoke 3-0 on Saturday to climb out of the relegation zone with seven points from three games, which also featured a draw with Arsenal and victory over Chelsea.

Moyes had already been considering changes, since the cup tie will be West Ham’s third match in less than a week, but a hamstring injury to captain Mark Noble has forced his hand in midfield, where cover looks particularly thin with Cheikhou Kouyate (hamstring) and Edimilson Fernandes (ankle) already sidelined.

Moyes looks certain to prioritise that lack of midfield numbers in the January transfer window and will need a temporary solution tomorrow night, with teenager Declan Rice earmarked to play as a holding midfielder.

The cup tie could have been a chance to rest Manuel Lanzini, but with few options in midfield the Argentine could be pressed into action again - providing he is not punished by the FA after he was accused by Stoke boss Mark Hughes of diving to win a penalty when he was challenged by Erik Pieters.

The FA’s three-man panel are assessing the incident, and if they decide that Lanzini deceived referee Graham Scott, his two-game ban will cover the quarter-final and Saturday’s League match with Newcastle.

West Ham also have a problem on the right side of their defence. Pablo Zabaleta injured a thigh muscle at Stoke and with Sam Byram out long term, there is again a lack of cover.

Marko Arnautovic, who was at the centre of most of the action at his former club on Saturday, is also doubtful with a calf problem, while striker Andy Carroll is out with a back injury.

Javier Hernandez looks certain to play, while Diafro Sakho and Andre Ayew are also likely to figure. England goalkeeper Joe Hart, who has been kept out of the team by the form of Adrian for the past four matches, could also start.

Centre-half James Collins, who returned to the team for the suspended Winston Reid after three months out injured, today conceded West Ham’s start to the season had been “diabolical” and insisted the players had to take their share of the blame.

“I think we had to look at ourselves first and foremost,” he said. “The first 10 games of the season were diabolical. You look at the goals we let in and if my son’s under-10s team had done that, you would have been angry with them. We knew we had to change and we have done a lot of work on the training pitch. The gaffer has come in, just got us doing the basics again and it has worked.

“Going into these past three games people probably thought we would lose them all, so to have the seven points we have, played the way we have and showed the desire to do well is great.”

Arnautovic was the inspiration behind the victory. The Austria international scored one goal, could have had four and generally tormented his former club’s defence.

He also received a torrent of abuse from the Stoke fans, who had been unimpressed with the way he pushed for a transfer prior to his £25million summer move. Arnautovic reacted by pointedly celebrating his second half goal, an action which angered his former manager Mark Hughes, who berated the player as he left the field after being substituted.

“There was a little bit of baiting obviously, but did he not expect that?” Hughes asked. “I had better be careful because it sounds like sour grapes, but I think he should have risen above any criticism or abuse he had.”

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