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Two teams in need of points for vastly different reasons will face off in a crucial Premier League encounter on Sunday evening, as Manchester United visit West Ham United.
Manchester United currently sit fourth in the table, but are only four points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool, meaning they need to secure points against West Ham to stay in the top four and qualify for the Champions League next season. West Ham, on the other hand, sit in 15th place and are just four points clear of the relegation zone, making this match a must-win to avoid being dragged into the relegation battle.
West Ham started their season well but have recently found themselves slipping down the table, losing three straight matches against Liverpool, Crystal Palace, and Manchester City. If they lose their next two games, they will be under immense pressure heading into games against Leeds and Leicester, who are also fighting to avoid relegation.
Manchester United appeared to have settled for a draw against Brighton in their last match, but a late penalty gave the Seagulls the win. United must now bounce back with a win against West Ham to stay in the top four.
The two sides have very different home form, with West Ham only picking up 22 points from their 17 home league games this season, while Manchester United have been impressive at Old Trafford, picking up 39 points from 16 matches, losing just one of their 16 matches.
West Ham will hope to recover Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek, and Nayef Aguerd, with the trio unavailable against Manchester City last time out. Vladimir Coufal tweaked a hamstring against City and will miss out, while Gianluca Scamacca and Kurt Zouma are also unavailable for selection.
Manchester United could welcome Alejandro Garnacho back into their squad for this match, with the teenager back in first-team training after recovering from an ankle injury. Lisandro Martinez, Donny van de Beek, Scott McTominay, Raphael Varane, and Tom Heaton remain unavailable.
It is expected that Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag will make changes to the side that started against Brighton, with Jadon Sancho and Christian Eriksen potentially replacing Anthony Martial and Fred, while Marcel Sabitzer will also be in contention for a midfield role.
Considering United‘s recent form against West Ham, winning seven of their last eight matches against the Hammers in all competitions, we predict a 2-1 win for Manchester United in what promises to be a thrilling match.
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