Manchester United will make the trip to the capital again, this time to take on West Ham United at the London Stadium as the race at both ends of the table heats up.
West Ham United have had a very tough season so far, sitting 15th in the Premier League and were engaged in a tight relegation battle for a few weeks. Recently, they have managed to put some gap between them and the bottom five teams, with the Hammers now four points clear of the relegation zone. David Moyes and his side had a dismal start to the season and at no point have they looked capable of pulling themselves out of the slump. Despite their good form in Europe, which has seen the Irons reach the semi-final stage of the Europa Conference League, the Irons have not hit the right note in terms of form and consistency at any stage of the season, and are now barely hanging in there with just 4 games left to play in the league. They face a quite a tricky run-in to the season now, with city rivals Brentford to come after Man United, followed by two fellow relegation candidates in Leeds United and Leicester City. The Mancunians are in the midst of an unsettled period and David Moyes will be hoping to capitalize on that and get one over his former team to further boost West Ham’s chances of survival.
Manchester United, on the other hand, have their sights set firmly on a top four finish and more importantly a return to the Champions League. They find themselves in a good position, but have hit a few speedbumps in recent times, particularly in their midweek defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion. The Red Devils lost 1-0 to the Seagulls, thanks to a late penalty from Alexis Mac Allister. Man United now sit in 4th, two points behind Newcastle United in 3rd and four points ahead of Liverpool, who have a played a game more. The defeat on Thursday night was their second in five games in all competitions as Erik ten Hag will be hoping his side can end the season on a strong note with five games left to play. The Red Devils have not been the same charismatic side we have seen in the last few months, with many suspecting their congested fixture list and tired legs playing a part. United need just 3 wins to secure their place in the top four and with a fairly easier run of games to come, they will be hoping to get it done. Now, a visit to London beckons again, their third in two weeks and they will be hoping to get three much needed points to go one step closer to returning to the premier European competition.
WHEN AND WHERE?
Date: Sunday, 7th May 2023.
Venue: London Stadium, London.
Time: 7.00 pm BST.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Peter Bankes.
Assistants: Eddie Smart, Simon Bennett.
Fourth official: Paul Tierney.
VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Assistant VAR: Darren Cann.
TEAM NEWS
A sickness bug around the West Ham camp meant that David Moyes had to make a few changes in their midweek game against Manchester City. Declan Rice, Nayef Aguerd and Tomas Soucek were some of the key players affected, and they missed the 3-0 defeat to the champions. It remains to see if they can recover in time for Sunday’s clash. Kurt Zouma twisted his ankle last week in the 4-3 defeat to Crystal Palace, coming off in the first half. Moyes has confirmed the Frenchman will be missing from action for at least a couple weeks. Thilo Kehrer and Angelo Ogbonna were the centre-back pairing for the Hammers with both first-choice center-backs missing.
Manchester United have no new injury concerns and have a quite strong squad at their disposal. However, the absence of two main central defenders in Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez has already cost them a couple times and with the two set to remain out for some more time, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw have deputized for them. Young star Alejandro Garnacho has had an eventful last few days, returning to training after a spell on the sidelines, followed by a new five-year contract and an announcement of parenthood as well. The winger will be keen to get out on the pitch, and it remains to see if Erik ten Hag feels he is fit enough to make the squad on Sunday.
MATCH ANALYSIS
Man United play away for the third time in four games on Sunday, and it is yet another test for Erik ten Hag’s men on the road. Although their away form has been under scrutiny, thanks to just one win away from home against the top ten teams in the league, the Red Devils are actually have the fifth best record away overall. United have lost heavily away to the likes of City and Liverpool, but looking at the bigger picture shows that they have been strong against the bottom half of the table, winning 6 and drawing two out of the eight games played. They have kept five clean sheets in the process and have conceded just three goals. While the Red Devils have been criticized, and rightly so, for their poor form against the top teams, they will take heart going to London on Sunday from the fact that they have had a strong showing against the lesser teams.
West Ham United, on the contrary, head into the tie on the back of three straight losses which has brought the gap between them and the relegation zone down to four points. Their home form is decent at best, having won 6 out of 17 games so far. Furthermore, the Hammers have a very poor record against Man United at home, having won just 5 of 26 games, losing 11 times. They have lost the last two games against the Red Devils at home and will be hoping to put up a better display on Sunday.
It is a very crucial game for both sides, with a win boosting both teams’ chances of achieving their objectives. A win would see West Ham United increase the gap on the relegation zone with four out of the bottom five teams set to play after the Irons. It would take some pressure of West Ham in the race for survival and see them in a strong position heading into the final three games of the season. For Man United, it is a chance to cement their position in the top four, and if Newcastle lose against league leaders Arsenal, it could mean the Red Devils can reclaim the third spot from them.
It is a tie with a lot at stake and taking into account the form of both sides it could be a tight one with a few goals in it. All the signs point towards a game that will be a classic EPL encounter and it will be hard to miss out.
KEY PLAYERS
Bruno Fernandes
The Portuguese midfield juggernaut has been ever-present for United and has flourished under Erik ten Hag. Bruno Fernandes has a tally of 11 goals and 14 assists across all competitions this season, whilst playing in numerous different positions to help the team. He is the second-highest goalscorer in the Red Devils squad and the has the highest assists of the lot, highlighting his importance in the team. He makes the team tick on the field, and has taken on much of the creative burden since Christian Eriksen’s injury. Bruno has displayed his class and skill wherever he has played on the pitch, making himself invaluable to Erik ten Hag. He scored the winner last weekend, in a 1-0 win against Aston Villa at home. The Portuguese man has never scored against West Ham United and will be hoping to break that duck on Sunday.
PREDICTED LINEUPS
West Ham predicted lineup vs Manchester United: Lukasz Fabianski; Vladimir Coufal, Thilo Kehrer, Nayef Aguerd, Aaron Cresswell; Tomas Soucek, Declan Rice; Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, Said Benrahma; Michail Antonio.
Manchester United predicted lineup vs West Ham: David de Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot; Casemiro, Christian Eriksen; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho; Marcus Rashford.
