Manchester United return to Old Trafford this evening looking to turn a much-needed upturn in results into something more sustained, while West Ham arrive in the relegation zone knowing they badly need points of their own. With United sitting in mid-table but within touching distance of the European places, and West Ham down in 18th, this feels like an important checkpoint in the season for both clubs.
United come into this fixture on the back of a morale-boosting comeback win over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, a result that ended a three-match winless run in the league. Ruben Amorim’s side had to respond after falling behind, but showed character and attacking intent to turn the game around and move up to ninth place, three points off the top four with a game in hand.
West Ham, now under Nuno Espírito Santo, saw their recent momentum checked by a 2–0 defeat to Liverpool last weekend – a game in which they had to play a long spell with ten men. That loss ended a three-match unbeaten run which had included an eye-catching 3–1 home win over Newcastle, their first league victory under Nuno and their first home league success since February. They travel to Manchester 18th in the table on 11 points, very much part of the early relegation picture.
Recent history between the clubs will also be in the visitors’ minds: West Ham have won four of the last five competitive meetings, including a 2–0 victory at Old Trafford in May.
United are now firmly under the guidance of Rúben Amorim, whose early months have brought a clearer playing identity and, recently, an uptick in league results. He still has selection issues to manage: Benjamin Šeško remains sidelined with a knee problem, and full-back Noussair Mazraoui is unavailable due to international commitments later this month, while Matheus Cunha has only just returned from a head injury and is still being eased back. Even so, the core of his starting XI – including Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Bryan Mbeumo – is available and in regular action.
West Ham are in the early weeks of the Nuno Espírito Santo era after the Portuguese coach replaced Graham Potter in September. He inherits a squad that has been inconsistent and leaky defensively, but one that still boasts attacking threats in the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Callum Wilson and Lucas Paquetá. There are no widely reported new injury crises ahead of this game, though Nuno has already hinted he may need to shuffle his pack to cope with the schedule and to tighten up a back line that has conceded 27 league goals in 13 matches.
At home, United under Amorim are looking increasingly front-foot. Expect them to push their full-backs high, dominate the ball for long spells and use the movement of Fernandes, Mbeumo and Cunha (if selected) to drag West Ham’s back four around. Their recent improvement has come from sharper pressing and quicker ball circulation, though defensive lapses have not been eradicated completely.
West Ham will likely arrive with a more pragmatic plan. Nuno’s sides are usually compact and well organised, and he will look to keep the spaces between the lines tight, defend deeper than his predecessor’s team often did, and then spring forward quickly through Bowen, Wilson and Paquetá when United turn the ball over. Set pieces will also be a key part of their armoury, especially against a United defence that has been vulnerable in those moments at times over the last 18 months.
The central midfield battle should go a long way to deciding the rhythm of the evening. If United can control that area, win second balls and keep West Ham penned back, they have the quality to create sustained pressure and enough attacking options to make it count. But if West Ham can disrupt Casemiro and his partners, force turnovers and transition quickly, they have already shown in previous meetings that they can hurt United.
Concentration at the back will be vital for both teams. United have struggled to keep clean sheets; West Ham have conceded heavily in several matches this term. One mistake, one set piece or one counter-attack could swing a game that has plenty riding on it.
For Manchester United, this match is an opportunity to back up the Crystal Palace comeback and move closer to the group chasing Champions League places. Another win would consolidate the sense that Amorim’s ideas are bedding in and that Old Trafford can once again become a reliable source of points.
For West Ham, the stakes are more immediate. Sitting in the bottom three, they need results quickly to avoid getting cut adrift. A positive performance and even a point at Old Trafford would be useful; an away win would instantly change the mood around Nuno’s tenure and give their season a very different feel.
With one side looking up the table and the other anxiously glancing over their shoulder, tonight’s game at Old Trafford promises to be tense, tactical and potentially pivotal for both clubs.
