Captain Jarrod Bowen says West Ham are “in a good place as a group” before the third-bottom side in the Premier League host sixth-bottom Leeds United for a place in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley Stadium.
The new version of Wembley was months away from opening when the Hammers last progressed past the last eight, losing the 2005/06 final to Liverpool on penalties.
“We can really turn what’s been an underwhelming season into a really special one in the last seven league games and three potential FA Cup games we’ve still got to play,” said Bowen, speaking to West Ham’s programme with his side a point behind Tottenham, three shy of Nottingham Forest and four away from Leeds in the top flight.
“It’s proper business time, with no other breaks between now and the end of the season. It’s good to be back and we’ve been working hard the last few days at Rush Green to be ready to go.
“A Wembley trip for everyone associated with this club would be incredible. This is the FA Cup, the competition we all grew up watching and dreaming of winning, and a win would take us to the national stadium, so it’s a big opportunity, a big moment and one I’m really looking forward to.
“Leeds are going to bring a lot of fans, so it’s going to be a good set-up for a great game. Now we just have to go and do it.”
The visitors are in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002/03, last reaching the semi-finals with a defeat after extra time against Coventry City at Hillsborough in 1986/87.
“We know that we all have the chance to write a bit more history for this club,” said head coach Daniel Farke, who took Leeds to Wembley when they lost the 2024 Championship play-off final to Southampton.
“To take part in the semi-finals would be another chapter of history for this club because we haven’t been there for such a such a long time.
“This group is so united and so together and they’re highly motivated to achieve something special. We are pretty happy that we are in the quarter-finals.
“The lads have done really well and of course we want to grab the chance with both hands. We know that West Ham will try to do the same and they don’t have to travel on the first game day after the international break, [which makes it] a bit more difficult [for us].
“We want to go strong and it would be a great achievement if we can progress.”
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West Ham United v Leeds United team news
Defenders Konstantinos Mavropanos (concussion) and Jean-Clair Todibo (calf) are injury doubts for West Ham.
Crysencio Summerville could also miss out with a calf problem. The former Leeds winger joins Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Tomas Soucek, Kyle Walker-Peters, Taty Castellanos and Soungoutou Magassa in being a booking away from an FA Cup suspension.
Forwards Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor are doubts for Leeds with hamstring issues but left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson should be available after suspension despite suffering a knock while with Sweden.
Defenders Konstantinos Mavropanos (concussion) and Jean-Clair Todibo (calf) are injury doubts for West Ham.
Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Jayden Bogle, Wilfried Gnonto and Brenden Aaronson must avoid cautions to be available for a potential semi-final.
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