Manchester United will be eager to return to winning ways when they take on West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday.
Gameweek 18 of the 2023/24 Premier League season is underway, with Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion locking horns on Thursday night. Friday will witness Aston Villa taking on Sheffield United at Villa Park. Then, the action on Saturday will kick off at the London Stadium, where West Ham United will host Manchester United.
West Ham United have blown hot and cold this season, much like 2022/23. But they have been much-improved in the Premier League as they are in the top half of the table instead of being closer to the relegation zone. Meanwhile, the Hammers did not break much of a sweat in the UEFA Europa League, topping their group after Matchday 6. But David Moyes remains under pressure at the London Stadium after a few sub-par performances in the last few weeks.
Erik ten Hag is in a similar position, although he will unlikely hear the bad news until Sir Jim Ratcliffe is officially a minority owner of Manchester United. The Red Devils have won only one of their last six matches, failing to win their last three. But they earned a creditable draw against Liverpool after completely neutralising the Reds at Anfield last weekend.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 1-0 win for West Ham United, with Said Benrahma scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
West Ham United
David Moyes does not have any new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Manchester United on Saturday, the West Ham United manager will be bereft of the services of only one first-team player.
Michail Antonio is the only absentee, with the experienced striker recovering from a knee injury. But there is some good news, as Nayef Aguerd should be fit and available after recovering from an illness.
Aguerd will return to the starting eleven on Saturday, pairing up with Kurt Zouma at the heart of the defence. Vladimir Coufal and Emerson Palmieri should be the two full-backs, with Lukasz Fabianski taking his spot between the sticks. West Ham will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of the Polish goalkeeper.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Tomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez. The duo will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park, looking to neutralise Bruno Fernandes’s threat. Meanwhile, James Ward-Prowse will accompany the pair, with the former Southampton captain providing the forward thrust from the central areas.
Jarrod Bowen has spearheaded the West Ham attack in Antonio’s absence. But he plays interchangeably with Mohammed Kudus, who can make a splash in the box. Lucas Paqueta will complete the numbers in the final third, looking to provide the creative impetus from different areas of the pitch.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Fabianski; Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse; Kudus, Bowen, Paqueta
Manchester United
Unlike his counterpart in the West Ham United dugout, Erik ten Hag has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to the London Stadium. The Manchester United boss will be without at least eight first-team players on Saturday.
Diogo Dalot is the latest absentee, with the Portuguese international serving a suspension for a ridiculous dismissal by Michael Oliver last weekend. Dalot has joined Lisandro Martinez (foot), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Harry Maguire (groin), Casemiro (hamstring), Mason Mount (calf), and Amad Diallo (knee) on the sidelines.
In addition, Jadon Sancho continues his exile, as he has yet to make up with his manager. But there is some good news, as Bruno Fernandes is available after serving his suspension last week. Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen has resumed training. But Saturday’s game might have come too soon for the Dane.
Andre Onana will take his usual spot between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 4-1-4-1 formation in front of him. Aaron Wan-Bissaka will replace the suspended Dalot as the right-back, joining Raphael Varane, Jonny Evans, and Luke Shaw in the backline.
Kobbie Mainoo was impressive against Liverpool, with that display earning him another start. The teenage sensation will accompany Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay in the middle of the park. Finally, Rasmus Hojlund will lead the line for Manchester United against West Ham, with Alejandro Garnacho and Antony completing the numbers in the final third. So, Marcus Rashford will be on the bench again.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Evans, Shaw; Mainoo; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, McTominay, Garnacho; Hojlund
Key Stats
- The last five Premier League encounters between West Ham United and Manchester United have had a one-goal margin (one win for West Ham and four for Manchester United).
- West Ham United have taken 13 points from their last six Premier League game (W4 D1), only one fewer than in their opening 11 games this season.
- Manchester United have lost 12 of their most recent 25 matches in all competitions, as many defeats as they recorded in all 62 competitive games last season.
- Since David Moyes’s return to West Ham United in the 2019/20 campaign, the Hammers have won just three of their 31 Premier League games against sides that finished in the top four the previous season, failing to keep a clean sheet in each one.
- Bruno Fernandes has faced West Ham United ten times without ever scoring, his longest such sequence as a Manchester United player against any side.
Player to Watch
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Wan-Bissaka has lost prominence in the last few weeks, with Diogo Dalot getting the nod from Erik ten Hag as the first-choice right-back in most games. But the Portuguese international’s suspension comes as a blessing in disguise for the 25-year-old.
Lucas Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse will threaten from his side, even though they will not hug the flank. So, Wan-Bissaka must support his centre-back to cut off the passing lanes and reduce the home side’s creativity. A successful performance can turn ten Hag’s head and earn him regular game time again.
Prediction
West Ham United 1-2 Manchester United
West Ham United’s recent form considerably contrasts that of Manchester United’s. But David Moyes’s men do not tend to show up against the best teams, although the Red Devils do not necessarily fall in that bracket this season. Nonetheless, a competitive fixture is on the cards to get us underway on Saturday.
But fatigue might play a role, with West Ham United coming into this game after playing a gruelling EFL Cup fixture against Liverpool on Wednesday. In contrast, Manchester United enjoyed the week’s rest and will have their best player returning after a ten-day break. That should prove telling, with the visitors sealing a narrow 2-1 win that will relieve some pressure on Erik ten Hag.
