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Manchester United will have to watch out for West Ham’s form as it travels to face the high-flying Hammers in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Red Devils are off to an awkward start to their 2020/21 Premier League campaign, due to injuries, fitness issues and a lack of preseason. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has tried to make the most of it and three consecutive league wins have propelled them to the top half of the table, one game short.
However, one team that they find above them, to their surprise, is West Ham United. David Moyes has circumnavigated all internal and roster problems at the start of the season to lead the Hammers to fifth place in the league table. To his credit, Moyes has done very well with a team that was exhausted after the transfer window rather than improving.
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Manchester United suffered a 3-1 loss to PSG during the middle of the week, mainly due to a carefree finish, which left their Champions League Group breathless. As for West Ham United, they have rested a full week and will be looking to take advantage of the excellent conditioning and fitness levels of their key players.
The last time Manchester United visited West Ham, it was the Hammers who prevailed with a 2-0 win over the visitors, thanks to goals from Andriy Yarmolenko and Aaron Cresswell. As the two teams prepare to renew their developing rivalry, we take a look at how each squad is shaping up.
Team news and tactics
West Ham
Andriy Yarmolenko has yet to receive clearance to return to camp after testing positive and will sit outside. Michail Antonio, however, will be a big mistake for Moyes, if he is not fit in time for the Manchester United game.
On defense, Moyes will retain 3 at the rear, with Aaron Cresswell, Angelo Ogbonna and Fabian Balbuena the usual favorites, with Issa Diop falling down the pecking order. Vladimir Coufal and Arthur Masuaku have done well on the wing and should continue to repeat their role as wingers.
Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice have built great chemistry in midfield and Moyes hopes the pair can prevent Manchester United from building successful attacks.
Jarrod Bowen has had a spectacular season, in terms of performances and impact, and he’s a right-wing starter. If Antonio doesn’t pull it off, Sebastien Haller will line up in the middle of the three-man attack, and his height will likely prove to be a good match with Manchester United’s central defenders.
The fans and David Moyes would have witnessed what Said Benrahma can add to the starting eleven after scoring the winning goal against Aston Villa. For now, however, Moyes should continue to favor playmaker Pablo Fornals on the left, with Benrahma a dangerous second-half substitute proposition.
Probable lineup (3-4-3): Fabianski; Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Coufal, Rice, Soucek, Masuaku; Bowen, Haller, Fornals
United manchester
Luke Shaw is back in training but has yet to show his fitness, making him an unlikely face to see in the starting eleven on Saturday. Marcus Rashford withdrew early against PSG with a shoulder problem and while Ole is optimistic about Rashford’s ability to recover in time, the English international is a question ahead of the trip to West Ham.
David de Gea was also seen limping on a few occasions and it will be doubtful, and Dean Henderson is likely to have an unusual start in goal. The last four of the PSG game should hold, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Alex Telles as expected faces.
Donny van de Beek and Paul Pogba should enter the starting eleven as Ole enters the rotation, while Scott McTominay should keep his place after a fight against PSG. In attack, Rashford is a doubt but if he fits, the English international will start, with Edinson Cavani also a certainty to start from the front.
Bruno Fernandes will reprise his role on the hole in an advanced midfield position and the Portuguese would hope he can do better than the shift he did during the week. In the event that Rashford is unable to start, Martial will receive the go-ahead.
Probable lineup (4-3-1-2): Henderson; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles; van de Beek, McTominay, Pogba; Fernandes; Cavani, martial
Betting Odds
Favorable advice
1. Both Teams To Score – YES @ 1.61
The hot ones
1. Bruno Fernandes to score anytime @ 2.75
Key stats
1. Manchester United have won just once in their last five visits to the Premier League to face West Ham United.
2. West Ham United have scored in their last nine Premier League games after a monotonous 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the season opener.
3. West Ham United have kept a clean sheet in two of their last three Premier League games.
4. Manchester United have already set a new club record in their last away win over Southampton, having won 8 consecutive Premier League away games.
5. Bruno Fernandes has scored 7 goals and provided 3 assists in a total of 9 Premier League appearances in the 2020/21 campaign.
Player to watch
Anthony Martial
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One of the main reasons for Manchester United’s defeat against PSG was Martial’s lack of clinical finish. The Frenchman had two glorious chances to give United the lead in the second half at 1-1, but blew them both, with one of them almost a six-yard keeper. The surprising fact was that Martial couldn’t test the goalie with that effort from nearly six yards.
Ole has two failed forwards in Martial and Mason Greenwood. While the latter will need time to recover from the mental beating he received at the hands of the media, it will be up to Martial to step up and be the number 9 he so wanted to be for so long at Manchester United.
West Ham will have an experienced 3-man baseline, which means Martial can beat them for pace and the Frenchman will also have to draw on his ball control to seize the opportunities. All Martial needs right now is a way to find the back of the net and once one gets in, it could pave the way for more.
Prediction
West Ham 2-3 Manchester United
David Moyes seems to have found West Ham United’s winning formula. The seasoned three-man setup sits deep into the back, with the sides also receding to make it a 5-man setup when not in possession. The likes of Bowen and Fornals have contributed well at the other end of the field.
For Manchester United, Edinson Cavani comes into the game with a brilliant cameo and his first Premier League start could be sinister for West Ham. Cavani has the height and strength to push off West Ham’s three seasoned defenders while having the pace and tricks to annoy them.
West Ham is likely to continue their scoring trend in Premier League matches, but Manchester United have been an indomitable force in their away games. A scoring extravaganza should be on display for the neutrals, with Manchester United slightly favorites to beat them 3-2 purely on the basis of their away prowess.
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