BBC Sport pundit Mark Lawrenson has predicted the result of Sunday’s FA Cup Third Round clash between West Ham and Leeds United.
The all-Premier League tie is due to kick off at 2pm and both sides come into the game off the back of victories.
West Ham edged Crystal Palace in a five-goal thriller on New Years Day, while Leeds ended a four-match winless streak the following day with a 3-1 triumph over Burnley.
With the Hammers just a point outside the top four and still in the Europa League, and the Whites trying to avoid a relegation scrap, neither club is likely to be prioritising an FA Cup run this season.
That’s even though third and fourth-round replays have been scrapped in an attempt to alleviate fixture congestion.
Lawrenson predicts West Ham vs Leeds
BBC pundit Lawrenson has predicted that both sides will rotate at the London Stadium and that the hosts will come out on top.
‘I am guessing they will both make changes for this one and, although the Hammers need to add to their squad this month, I would still say they have more depth than Leeds right now,’ he wrote [BBC Sport].
A scoreline prediction of 2-0 to West Ham is also given.
While progressing deep into the FA Cup may not be top of either manager’s to-do list, a third win in a row for Moyes’ men would give them real momentum ahead of an important run of league fixtures, while a defeat for Bielsa’s side could dent the confidence gained by their three-point haul on New Year’s Day.
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