The Hammers host Chelsea on Wednesday evening.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has suggested that his side could go a long way in the EFL Cup if they can beat London rivals Chelsea at home on Wednesday night because of the way the draw is falling, as shown by BBC Sport.
The Hammers host the Blues tomorrow evening competing for a place in the quarter-finals of a competition which surely represents Bilic’s side’s best chance of silverware this season.
However, the team that have only won five of 14 games in all competitions so far this term face a stern test against a Chelsea side fresh from thrashing Manchester United 4-0.
It will be a hugely impressive result if the Irons can topple Antonio Conte’s side, but Bilic has suggested that he is already looking ahead to what could lie in store for his side if they can progress.
He told BBC Sport: “It is a very interesting competition for us. Now we are in the last 16, if we go through it’s already the quarter-finals.
“Maybe it is too early to talk about it but Man Utd playing Man City, Spurs playing Liverpool tonight – with the greatest respect to all the clubs, if you have some fixtures… If you go through and have, not an easy draw, but one that if you play good you can go through and then you are there.
“It’s not ideal to play midweek. Probably Everton are going to be more fresh than us on Sunday because they went out against Norwich, but not at this stage of the season in October it is not a problem to play Saturday-Wednesday-Sunday.”
Many may feel that it is rich of Bilic to be discussing potential routes to the latter stages of the competition given that Accrington Stanley are the only club West Ham have played and beaten in the EFL Cup so far this season.
However, there is some justification to his comments. Premier League sides Burnley, Middlesbrough, Watford, Everton, West Bromwich Albion, Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Swansea City and Stoke City have all already crashed out.
This round, one of the two Manchester clubs will fall to the other, whilst somebody has to lose from Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton vs Sunderland.
If the Hammers beat Chelsea to progress, that will leave them as one of a maximum of six top-flight teams left in the competition.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
