Mark Noble has fond memories of the last time West Ham beat Bolton. Rightly so. For the Irons skipper executed a stunning volley to snatch one of the best goals of his career. And in the same encounter, a certain Carlos Tevez hit a brace.
West Ham ace Noble is fighting to be fit for tomorrow’s Carabao Cup fourth round clash with the Trotters at the London Stadium. He does so after missing Premier League encounters with Huddersfield Town and West Brom through a knee injury.
And Noble hopes to get some game time in the match against Bolton, a side the Hammers have lost to in their previous eight meetings.
He said: “I trained over the weekend and am hoping to be fit enough to play some part. If I do play, I’ll certainly be determined to end our recent record against Bolton. I was told we have lost the last eight games against them, which is an unbelievable run.
“The last time we beat Bolton, Carlos Tevez scored two and I got one of my favourite goals, a volley, when we were fighting to escape relegation 10years ago. We need to end that run tonight!
“The manager may choose to change things up a bit but, whoever he picks, we have the quality in the squad and the motivation to get through to the fourth round. I’ve been to the semi-finals of this competition twice and would love to reach the final.”
Meanwhile, James Collins could face at least a month out after injuring an ankle in the goalless draw at West Brom. He was due to have a scan today and there are fears he could have suffered ligament damage.