Important duel in the fight for the Champions League!
Manchester United cannot be fully satisfied with their current situation. The team has won recently, but is not playing too exhilarating football and must fear for the participation in the Champions League.
West Ham, meanwhile, are living up to their own expectations. The Hammers remain in the top flight of the league. Ahead of the Manchester United v West Ham game, however, the odds indicate favouritism for the Red Devils. This is not surprising, as West Ham are definitely considered to be some kind of favourite opponents.
Despite this, the visitors have already won once this season at Old Trafford, namely in the League Cup. So in all likelihood this match will definitely be tough – for both. Kick-off is on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.
Manchester United – Statistics & current form
Manchester United are currently in seventh place in the Premier League, however, the league table is also still showing some ambiguity with a lot of catch-up games on the schedule. A 3:1 win at Brentford last time at least provided a better mood for the Red Devils, who could still keep the connection to the top.
The match against West Ham, who now have two points more on their account, is very important because of the constellation of points alone. United can move past them and take an important step in the battle for the top flight. However, form is a headache, as only two of the last five league games have been won.
Despite everything, the hosts are positive about this game. The individual class is high, plus West Ham simply suits this team at home. The Rangnick eleven won 20 of the last 25 home games in the league against the club from London. And there were some elements in the 3:1 win against Brentford that could definitely be seen as positive. So maybe this game was a step in exactly the right direction. But only this game will show that.
Manchester United: Will the step towards consistency now follow?
After the sacking of coach Solskjaer and the appointment of Rangnick, some elements have developed, but not much has improved completely and sustainably. Consistency is lacking. Rangnick had the difficult task of having to tackle many construction sites at the same time. That is not easy, which is now becoming apparent. Before the other competitions come around again, another sense of achievement should now provide more security and momentum for the coming weeks.
One factor that needs attention at Manchester United is the defence. 30 goals conceded in 21 league games are too many, and the Red Devils clearly play to nil too rarely. They have only managed to do so four times in the Premier League this season, and not at all in the last five games.
Because the opponents in this match also have a lot of quality, our prediction before the Manchester United vs West Ham match is that both teams will score at least one goal.
Predicted Manchester United line-up:
De Gea – Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Telles – McTominay, Matic, Bruno Fernandes, Greenwood, Elanga – Ronaldo
Last matches played by Manchester United:
Premier League
01/19 2022 – Brentford 1 – 3 Manchester United
01/15 2022 – Aston Villa 2 – 2 Manchester United
FA Cup
01/10 2022 – Manchester United 1 – 0 Aston Villa
Premier League
01/03 2022 – Manchester United 0 – 1 Wolverhampton
12/30 2021 – Manchester United 3 – 1 Burnley
West Ham – Statistics & current form
There have admittedly been better periods in West Ham’s season. The 3-2 defeat to relegation candidates Leeds United last matchday may have after-effects because the performance was good in phases, but in the end they offered their opponents far too much.
Nevertheless, the visitors are still in fourth place and West Ham are better away than at home this season. The visitors take 54% of their points away from home and are one of the four best teams away from home.
A lot will depend on West Ham getting off to a good start in the game. Manchester United would benefit from a lead because of their good pace. In the last six league games, however, it was either or for West Ham, with three games won and three lost. So both have consistency problems to a certain extent, West Ham’s underdog role also and especially comes about because of the individual differences.
West Ham: Third away win in a row?
Just like Manchester United, the visitors have also conceded 30 goals, but of course also have a different claim than the favourite. A win at Manchester United would mean the third away win in a row for West Ham, also for David Moyes it is about a series, but he wants to end one. For the visitors’ coach has never won a league match at Old Trafford.
Nevertheless, the visitors can make this game more open than the games recently if they have a good day. There has been a lot of action in the last matches involving West Ham, as five goals have been scored in each of the last four games. That is also one reason why our tip before the Manchester United vs West Ham match is that both teams will score.
Predicted West Ham line-up:
Fabianski – Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Cresswell – Rice, Soucek, Bowen, Lanzini, Fornals – Antonio
Last matches played by West Ham:
Premier League
01/16 2022 – West Ham 2 – 3 Leeds
01/12 2022 – West Ham 2 – 0 Norwich
FA Cup
01/09 2022 – West Ham 2 – 0 Leeds
Premier League
01/01 2022 – Crystal Palace 2 – 3 West Ham
12/28 2021 – Watford 1 – 4 West Ham
Manchester United – West Ham Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
70 of the 148 direct duels went to Manchester United. 46 matches were won by West Ham, 32 times no winner could be found. In recent years, Manchester United have a clear advantage on their own side.
Manchester United – West Ham Tip
Manchester United know that a win against West Ham would be an absolute big point. It doesn’t matter how the game is won, the three points are the goal. And playing at home against West Ham is something the Red Devils love to do.
The role of favourites lies with the hosts, but primarily an interesting and offensively led game is in store. Therefore, before the match Manchester United vs West Ham, our tip is that both teams will score.
