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Manchester United vs West Ham United Preview | Predictions, Stats and Key Players

Manchester United face another difficult test in the Premier League against West Ham United. They will have home advantage, but they are playing a team that have qualified for European competition in two successive seasons. The match will be played at Old Trafford, which should give them confidence, as their home form has been good since the appointment of Erik ten Hag. David Moyes will always feel he has a score to settle in this fixture, as he comes up against his former club. It should be a good indicator of where both teams are as we approach the World Cup break.

It has been a tough few weeks for Manchester United. They have faced Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham in a short space of time, taking five points from those matches. Although being unbeaten during that run is impressive, Ten Hag will feel like they could have taken even more points based on their performances. It is important to follow that run of games up with a win on Sunday. If they are to establish themselves in the top four, they need to win their home matches. This is a good opportunity to strengthen their league position.

West Ham have had a strange start to the season. The results have been inconsistent, but their performances have continued to be at a high level compared to the rest of the league. There is no doubt that they are a top half team and they will hope to challenge for European qualification again. This weekend offers a chance for them to show their quality against a top six team. A win would move them within three points of Manchester United. Considering their slow start, that would be great for the club and give them confidence ahead of the mid-season break.

Interesting stats

  • Manchester United have only lost one of their last 14 Premier League home matches.
  • West Ham have failed to win in their last 14 visits to Old Trafford. During that period, they have lost on 11 occasions.

Key men

Antony

The Brazilian has been the talk of the internet over the last couple of days, due to his showboating during the Europa League match. As the move led to nothing, it reflected badly on Antony, but it is a part of his game. Ten Hag will be reminding his summer signing that there is a right time for those antics and try to limit the amount of times he does do this. However, he won’t want Antony to lose his character as it has helped him become the player he is. As they worked together at Ajax, he will have been aware that this was a common trait in the attacker’s game. Since signing for Manchester United, he has contributed three goals and an assist in the Premier League. None of his team-mates have contributed more during this period. There are several threats that he poses, including his shooting from range and his ability to run in behind. He looks to be the perfect right winger for Ten Hag, as he can cut in and leave space for Diego Dalot to move into from full-back. Antony is excellent at retaining the ball and that increases the value that he offers to the team. West Ham will be leggy after their midweek match. A tricky and direct player like Antony could cause them a lot of problems.

Scamacca

This could be looked back on as one of the best signings made this summer. Gianluca Scamacca was linked to a lot of European top clubs, but West Ham managed to bring him to the capital. It was a coup that underlined the improvements made by the club in recent seasons. They can now attract better players and they will hope that they can sustain their position in the top eight of the league. There is more competition in that area with the improvements made by Newcastle United, but Moyes will be confident that his team can remain there. Michail Antonio has been the starting striker for West Ham in recent seasons. Scamacca has now come in and taken that place in the team. After a slow adjustment period, he is a regular in the team and he has scored two goals in the Premier League. Scamacca will be hoping to improve on this in the coming weeks prior to the World Cup. As Italy won’t be at the tournament, he will be able to focus on West Ham during the break. It is going to be tough for Antonio to get his place back.

Team news

Cristiano Ronaldo will be back in the Premier League squad, after missing out last weekend due to a disciplinary issue. Harry Maguire and Donny van der Beek are available once again, but neither are likely to start. Anthony Martial is a doubt.

Jarrod Bowen picked up an injury during the week. His involvement this weekend is in doubt. Lucas Paqueta, Craig Dawson and Maxwel Cornet are all missing for the visitors.

Verdict

Manchester United have been better in recent weeks. They have been competing well against rivals for a top four finish and they will be confident that they can beat West Ham, although there will be respect for the Hammers. David Moyes has never fared well as a visiting manager to Old Trafford. A home win looks to be a good bet, but West Ham should have enough to score.

Manchester United 2-1 West Ham United

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