West Ham vs Fulham prediction 15.09.2026 | EFL Cup

West Ham suffered an unexpected relegation from the Premier League last season and are looking for an instant return. And indeed, the Hammers are doing great. To be fair, they had a somewhat slower start, but are doing great at the moment. They sit at the top with 14 points from the first seven rounds, on level with points with Swansea and West Brom Albion. However, they are in amazing form and are only looking better as the season progresses. 

In the previous game against Wrexham, defender Joel Veltman suffered an injury and had to leave the field after only 30 minutes. For now, there is no update on the seriousness of the injury, but it is hard to expect him in the EFL Cup game. Moreover, Alphonse Areola and Tomas Soucek should remain sidelined with their injuries.

Fulham did very well last season, easily securing survival. This season, the goal is once again to avoid relegation, but that isn't going according to plan. The Cottagers lost to Chelsea, Sunderland, and Crystal Palace before finally winning one point against Liverpool. However, despite a terrible record, the Cottagers aren't playing that poorly as the record shows. They are trying to play offensively under coach Arbeloa, but it hasn't paid off so far.

Coach Álvaro Arbeloa will have almost the entire squad available. Only Tom Cairney will miss the upcoming game against West Ham. Fulham's captain missed the entire season with a knee injury and most likely will be sidelined for at least one more month.