Edvin Austbø makes his case for a West Ham start against Swansea

Edvin Austbø needed three minutes to score after coming on against Lincoln City. By the final whistle, he had added an assist and strengthened his argument for a bigger role in West Ham’s promotion challenge.

Wednesday’s 6-0 victory came against opponents reduced to nine men before half-time. That qualification matters when assessing the performance, but Austbø still made effective use of the opportunity Nuno Espírito Santo gave him.

With Swansea City next, the question is whether the Norwegian’s contribution deserves a place in the starting XI.

Our Lincoln City vs West Ham match report covers the six goals and the dismissals that shaped the contest.

Edvin Austbø contributed while the result still needed securing

West Ham were only 1-0 ahead when Austbø replaced Morato at the interval.

Konstantinos Mavropanos had finally broken Lincoln’s resistance just before the break. Austbø then scored in the 48th minute from Joël Piroe’s assist, before Jarrod Bowen added the third two minutes later.

That timing gives his goal significance beyond its place in a heavy victory. West Ham returned from half-time with a narrow advantage and quickly established a lead that left Lincoln facing an even more demanding task.

Austbø later supplied Pablo’s goal in the 75th minute, contributing as both scorer and provider. FotMob’s match record confirms those involvements and his half-time introduction.

His contribution also helped spread the attacking responsibility. Bowen remained influential, but West Ham had another player converting their dominance into goals.

His early numbers deserve attention

Austbø now has two goals and two assists in 194 Championship minutes, according to FotMob’s player statistics.

He had previously registered a goal and an assist during a short appearance against Derby County. Lincoln therefore provided a second example of him making a productive contribution from the bench.

The sample remains small. It would be premature to project that scoring rate across a full season, particularly when Wednesday’s match was so heavily influenced by the red cards. What the numbers do establish is that he has already supplied end product during limited playing time.

There is relevant experience behind that start. West Ham’s official player profile records six goals and seven assists during Viking’s 2025 league-title campaign, when he was named Eliteserien Young Player of the Year.

The 21-year-old arrived from Viking in August with experience of contributing to a successful team. His early West Ham appearances offer encouragement that those attacking qualities can transfer to the Championship.

Swansea will require a different selection judgement

Lincoln lost Tom Hamer in the third minute and Conor McGrandles in the 23rd. West Ham consequently spent most of the match with two additional players on the pitch.

Replacing a defender with Austbø suited those circumstances. It does not automatically provide a starting formation for a visit to the league leaders.

Swansea have conceded seven goals in their opening ten Championship matches. Their latest result was a 1-0 victory at Millwall, with Ronald’s late winner delivering a fourth successive league win. Those results suggest West Ham should prepare for a much less forgiving contest.

Nuno must therefore weigh Austbø’s attacking contribution alongside the work required without the ball. The challenge will be to create opportunities while retaining enough protection when possession changes.

Where could Austbø fit?

The clearest selection debate concerns a wide attacking position, with Manor Solomon starting on the left against Lincoln.

Nuno’s confirmed West Ham XI also included Bowen, Pablo and Piroe, so promoting Austbø would require a decision about the balance of that attacking group.

There is a reasonable case for giving him that opportunity while retaining a conventional defensive line. His output has earned consideration, and starting against Swansea would provide a more demanding test of his contribution over a longer spell.

Saturday’s match kicks off at 3pm at the Swansea.com Stadium. Our Swansea vs West Ham viewing guide explains the television and streaming arrangements.