Preview: West Ham and Derby meet in the league for the first time since 2011 | OneFootball

After picking up their first league win of the season on Tuesday night, West Ham will be looking for another as they welcome Derby County to the London Stadium.

The Hammers had endured a tough start to life in the Championship before Tuesday’s 4-2 win over fellow promotion favourites Wolverhampton Wanderers. Draws with Burnley and Watford, and a surprise loss to Charlton Athletic put West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo under early pressure.

After finishing eighth last season, Derby were a team to keep an eye on heading into the new season. However, their three opening fixtures ended in two defeats and a draw.

Despite that, like the Hammers, they picked up their first league win of the season on Tuesday night, beating Portsmouth 2-0 away from home thanks to goals from Sammie Szmodics and Lars-Jørgen Salvesen.

In addition to both sides’ victories on Tuesday, it was also transfer deadline day, which saw West Ham and Derby strengthen their squads.

The East London club made two deadline day signings who could both feature on Saturday. Centre-back Morato joined on a season-long loan from Premier League side Nottingham Forest. The 25-year-old reunites with Nuno, who signed him for Forest in August 2024.

After the departure of El Hadji Malick Diouf to Brentford for a reported fee of £40 million, the Hammers needed to bring in a new left-back. It appeared that they had left it too late, but after a deal sheet was submitted, Athletic Club full-back Adama Boiro made the switch to East London on loan, with an option to buy.

Following their poor start, Derby needed further additions, and they did exactly that. Eiran Cashin returned to the club on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Attacker Mohammed Fuseini joined on loan from Union Saint-Gilloise, and David Ozoh returned to the club on a permanent deal after two loan spells in the past with the Rams.

Derby boss John Eustace commented on his side’s window and Saturday’s fixture.

“It’s been good. I think you look at the players we brought in. There are some really exciting signings now, and we’ve got to regroup.

“We’ve got to get the right chemistry between the players and get the right team that’s going to be competitive week in, week out.

“I think every away trip is tough,” he added. “It doesn’t matter who they are. We’ll go there and enjoy the day, and we’re playing against a fantastic squad of players, and we’ll be as competitive as we can be.”

Eustace also confirmed that both Craig Forsyth and Lewis Travis will miss this weekend’s clash in the capital.

“Craig’s in a bit of a bad way. He’s had a scan on his knee. It doesn’t look good. He’s seeing a specialist, so hopefully it won’t be season-ending, but it’s going to be a few months for him.

“Trav is going to be missing for probably three or four weeks as well. Obviously, it’s not as bad as what we all feared, which is great news.”

Speaking to the press on Thursday morning, Nuno was questioned on whether Tuesday’s win has affected the squad.

“The mood’s been better. A win always helps; it helps everything. It was very needed.”

Nuno acknowledged West Ham’s tough start, but insists his side is ready to compete.

“It’s one of the most difficult competitions in the game. It’s a hectic schedule, with tough games, but we’re ready to compete.

“Having the knowledge helps, of course. We did a lot of work in pre-season, and we’re working hard now.”

Despite bringing in nine players this summer, the Hammers coach admitted that the club wanted more players, but understood that it was difficult given the current market.

“It went well. We always want more, and we would’ve preferred the players to arrive sooner, but we understand the window. We brought in talented players with commitment.”

West Ham will be favourites going into the game, but after picking up their first three points of the season in midweek, Derby certainly won’t be an easy opponent for the Hammers.