West Ham United host Portsmouth in the first round of the Carabao Cup today, marking their first competitive fixture since being relegated from the Premier League. The match at the London Stadium kicks off at 3pm BST and is being shown live on Sky Sports+.
Team news and summer business
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is keen to start the season strongly at home before the Championship campaign begins with a tough trip to Burnley's Turf Moor next weekend. West Ham suffered top-flight demotion on the final day of last season and have had a mixed summer, with only free agent Joel Veltman and the permanent signing of Keiber Lamadrid from a loan deal. Big-money sales of Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville have been offset by retaining captain Jarrod Bowen, a major boost to their promotion hopes.
Pre-season form and Portsmouth's preparations
Pre-season results were inconsistent, with three draws in four friendlies against Southend, Rangers, and FC Magdeburg, but they scored five against Stevenage and remained unbeaten. Portsmouth, managed by John Mousinho, finished 18th in the Championship last season, eight points clear of relegation after winning 14 of 46 matches. They have added six new signings this summer: Odin Bailey, Rocco Shein, Eoin Kenny, Marko Milovanovic, Daniel Bielica, and Luke Brooke-Smith, and begin their league campaign at home to QPR.
How to watch
Every first-round Carabao Cup match is televised live in the UK. West Ham vs Portsmouth is on Sky Sports+, with the stream available via the Sky Go app for subscribers.
