West Ham United’s EFL Cup match against Bournemouth will be officiated by Peter Bankes, a referee who has a history of making controversial decisions against the club.
Bankes has officiated several West Ham matches, and his decisions have often been the subject of justified criticism from fans and pundits. His inconsistent performances and questionable calls have raised concerns about his ability to officiate fairly.
Remember the 2-2 draw against Newcastle last season? How about the 2-1 defeat against Brentford? Also the incorrectly awarded Tottenham penalty during our 1-1 draw at the London Stadium during the 2022/23 season, only for it to be overturned by VAR.
The appointment of Bankes for this match is likely to cause some raised eyebrows among West Ham supporters. The club has faced numerous controversial refereeing decisions in recent years, and Bankes’ presence could add a few additional nerves ahead of the game.
The 42-year-old has taken charge of 10 of our games and it does not come as a surprise that we’ve won only three of them! During those games, he’s also handed out 18 yellow cards to West Ham players
West Ham will need to be prepared for potential challenges from the referee and focus on playing their own game. Despite the challenges potentially posed by Bankes’ officiating, The mighty Irons have the ability to overcome adversity and secure a victory in this EFL Cup match.
Bournemouth Looking to Build on a Strong End to Last Season
Cherries have no new injuries heading into their clash with West Ham in the Carabao Cup, but Philip Billing faces a late assessment for if he will be involved.
Andoni Iraola provided an update on the team’s fitness to the media ahead of Wednesday's game.
“I think the ones who played there haven't been any new injuries,” he said. “Probably we have some tired legs, that is something normal.
“But we've prioritised, and we will prioritise this week the recovery process and we hope everyone is ready.
“We have one or two situations, one with illness. Every week we have someone that we don't know if he will be able to travel.
“And another player, Philip [Billing], with the back. That's the reason he wasn't in the squad the other day.
“Let's see how he trains this afternoon and if he has a chance to be involved tomorrow.
“But the rest, I think will be available.”
Asked about the strength of his side, with the prospect of a number of changes, Iraola said: “It's not we are strong or weak, depending on who we put in the starting lineup.
“You can put the same starting lineup and go very weak because they are not ready for the challenge and you can change a lot and be very strong.
“We will obviously need some fresh legs for sure. For sure we will make some changes. But I haven't still decided on the starting eleven.
“I haven't because it's such a quick turnaround that I want to see them, see how they are feeling and feel it to make the last decisions.”
Bournemouth's Ambitions For the Season
Evanilson gave everything in his AFC Bournemouth debut, Andoni Iraola said.
Hamed Junior Traore and Jaidon Anthony are set to leave Cherries on loan – but Andoni Iraola wants Philip Billing to stay with the Premier League side.
Jaidon Anthony has undergone a medical ahead of a potential move to Burnley on loan.
The Cherries' New Additions
Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is undergoing a medical at AFC Bournemouth ahead of a proposed loan move from Chelsea.
Bournemouth have quietly assembled a squad packed full of rich potential throughout the summer transfer window. Having lost top goalscorer Dominic Solanke to Tottenham Hotspur, the Cherries broke their transfer record to sign Evanilson from FC Porto, with the deal believed to be worth around £40m.
Luis Sinisterra, Dean Huijsen, Enes Ünal, Julián Araujo, Alex Paulsen and Daniel Jebbison have also all arrived at Vitality Stadium, and all aged 27 or under, it offers encouragement that Bournemouth are building for the longer term.
