West Ham vs Manchester United Match Preview: Kick-off Time, Team News, TV Channel and Score Prediction

Manchester United travel to east London to take on West Ham after losing in the 98th minute on the South Coast to Brighton.

Erik ten Hag’s men are being dragged into a scrap for Champions League football, needing nine points from the final five to secure a spot in Europe’s chief competition. The Hammers, however, are looking to slam the relegation trapdoor shut with a win against the Reds likely to help their cause to survive the drop.

Competition: Premier League
Venue: London Stadium
Kick Off: 19:00 UK Time
TV Channel: BT Sport

How do Manchester United look?

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United’s away form against the other nine teams in the top 10 has been woeful. The Reds have only taken a single point against the top 9 teams in the league away from home. Luckily for United, West Ham are nowhere near the top 10, but as they fight for their lives, United could face some major issues.

Despite the odd positive result, Ten Hag’s men just haven’t seemed to have bounced back from their huge loss at Liverpool two months ago. It very much seemed as though going into that game, high on the League Cup win to then have that bubble burst in such humiliating fashion, has taken a toll. Various injury blows following that fixture has also played a role with the spine of the team being shattered with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez being sidelined. However, the performances have been lacklustre and when United have secured three points, there has been an air of fortune attached to the result. United seem to be limping towards the finishing line, something Ten Hag needs to be wary of as top four is in jeopardy.

The Red’s could be bolstered by the potential return of Alejandro Garnacho to the match-day squad. On the 18-year-old’s potential involvement, Ten Hag said:

“Maybe one player [to add to the squad against West Ham]: Garnacho. I have to see.

“Maybe he can be involved but we will have to see how the progress can go.”

Scott McTominay and Varane remain the notable absentees that we could see in a United squad before the end of the season. Martinez is still out for the season.

Opposition: West Ham

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The Hammers go into this tie with a four-point buffer separating them and the relegation zone, sitting in 15th. Consistency has been David Moyes’ biggest issue as his side have been able to muster some strong performances that warrant a higher position but on other occasions, they look rightly doomed to the second division. West Ham come off the back of a 3-0 loss to Manchester City where Moyes fielded a rotated side. Declan Rice is set to return to the squad after not even making the bench against City.

Key Stats – West Ham vs Manchester United

• David Moyes hasn’t beaten United in nine Premier League games since leaving Old Trafford in April 2014. 
• Manchester United have won only one of their past eight league games in London, their four defeats as many as in their prior 23 top-flight matches in the capital. 

Prediction

United are not performing well and the expectation on current evidence is that the sluggish showings will sustain. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean United are doomed in east London. The likes of Bruno Fernandes who has been a bright spark in United’s team recently should come into his own with aother strong showing so I’d expect to see him on the scoresheet in a United win… a Manchester United win.

West Ham 0-1 Manchester United