Ben Johnson makes just his second senior start for West Ham in the Premier League as they face Watford in a crunch clash at London Stadium.
Johnson comes in at right back for Ryan Fredericks, who failed a late fitness test and misses out. The 20-year-old starts in the top flight for the first time since his debut, which came in February 2019 away at Manchester City when Manuel Pellegrini was in charge.
Johnson’s inclusion is the only change from the team that saw off Norwich 4-0 last Saturday lunchtime as David Moyes resists temptation to change.
That means Mark Noble makes a start on his 500th appearance for the club in a career that has spanned 16 years since making his debut as a 17-year-old in 2004. He lines up in midfield alongside Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice.
Michail Antonio will be looking to add to his haul of six goals since the restart as he once again leads the line up front, with Sebastien Haller remaining on the bench for a third game on the spin.
Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals once again start either side of Antonio in attack, with Bowen on the left flank and Fornals on the right hand side to provide the supply line to Antonio.
Three of the back four who started at Carrow Road line up at London Stadium, with regular centre half duo Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna at centre back and Aaron Cresswell at left back, with Johnson on the right.
Lukasz Fabianski takes up his usual position between the sticks for the Hammers as they target successive wins under David Moyes for the first time.
Albian Ajeti also misses out of the squad through injury and his place is taken by under-23 midfielder Conor Coventry on the bench.
A win for either side tonight wont mathematically secure survival in the top flight but it will go an awful long way to securing it with two matches remaining for both sides after tonight.
West Ham: Fabianski; Johnson, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek, Noble; Fornals, Bowen, Antonio.
