MANCHESTER UNITED host West Ham this weekend looking to leapfrog them in the Premier League table.
The Red Devils nearly blew it once again at Wolves in midweek, but found a way to win 4-3 via Kobbie Mainoo’s special late strike.
Erik ten Hag’s side are desperate to build momentum, having struggled to string wins together consistently this term.
United have already lost nine times in the Premier League, with one of their lowest moments coming against the Hammers in East London just before Christmas.
David Moyes’ side triumphed 2-0 on that day, courtesy of goals by Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus.
The Hammers go into the weekend a single place and point above United in sixth.
READ MORE IN MAN UTD
And unlike the Red Devils, they will still have European commitments during the second half of the campaign.
In their quest to book a fourth consecutive season in Europe next time out, they will be eager to avoid defeat at Old Trafford.
While United were slugging it out at Molineux, the Hammers were playing out a frustrating 1-1 draw with Bournemouth at London Stadium.
Moyes will be hoping for much better from his men at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Most read in Football
FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS & NEW CUSTOMER BONUSES
What is their form like?
For all their faults, Man Utd remain unbeaten in 2024.
Erik ten Hag’s side began the year with a 2-0 win at Wigan in the FA Cup, before a thrilling 2-2 home draw with Tottenham.
A topsy-turvy 4-2 win at Newport County followed, before last night’s equally dramatic 4-3 triumph at Wolves.
West Ham, meanwhile, have endured a frustrating start to the calendar year.
Moyes’ men drew 0-0 with Brighton on January 2, before an underwhelming display saw them taken to a replay by Championship Bristol City following a 1-1 draw.
Struggling for creativity without Kudus during the Africa Cup of Nations, the Hammers were then dumped out of the FA Cup by losing 1-0 at Ashton Gate.
A controversial 2-2 draw with strugglers Sheffield United followed, before their 1-1 draw against Bournemouth last night.
What is the team news?
Mason Mount and Tyrell Malacia are nearing returns, but will not be able to feature on Sunday.
Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka both missed the clash with Wolves but could return on Sunday if they pass late fitness tests.
Sofyan Amrabat’s Morocco were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday, but it remains to be seen if he will be available for Sunday.
Anthony Martial was recently ruled out for ten weeks following groin surgery.
West Ham, meanwhile, were boosted by Kudus’ return from Afcon against Bournemouth.
They will desperately require his creativity against Man Utd, with Lucas Paqueta and Michail Antonio ruled out with injuries.
Nayef Aguerd was also part of the Morocco team that were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations, but his status for Sunday is unknown.
Who will be the star men?
Having been dropped for the clash with Newport after missing training following a night out in Belfast, Marcus Rashford made a triumphant return to action at Wolves.
The forward, 26, took just five minutes to break the deadlock, brilliantly bending the ball beyond Jose Sa.
Having endured a difficult first half of the campaign, Rashford has now scored in his last three Premier League appearances.
With Ten Hag having shown faith in him at Wolves, Rashford will be looking to repay him again against West Ham.
The Hammers, meanwhile, have been goal-shy of late, with Moyes set to rely on Jarrod Bowen to get his team firing again.
Bowen, 27, has 11 Premier League goals this season – but has not scored in his last four games.
The England international will be eager to end his mini-drought this weekend.
What have the managers said?
Erik ten Hag praised his side’s resilience after their victory at Wolves.
The Dutchman, 54, said: “There’s a great spirit in the squad, in this dressing room.
“We are on the pitch all together and that’s very good to see. You see the determination, you see the resilience of this squad.
“They are so eager to get the right results and they want to play good football.”
On this weekend’s opponents, David Moyes said: “Erik ten Hag is in a privileged position to be manager of Manchester United.
“I think he understands and respects that. I think he is trying to enforce how he wants the team to play and work, and you have to give him credit for that.
“When you’re in that job, you are under a lot of pressure. You are expected to win and you are expected to perform well. He understands that.
“I think he’s trying to get himself through this period and then start building again, and they certainly picked up a good result against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday.”
SunSport prediction
With Man Utd having won their last four games, and West Ham having struggled of late, we reckon that the Red Devils will have just enough to take all three points.
SunSport predicts: Man Utd 2 West Ham 1
When is Man Utd vs West Ham?
- Man Utd vs West Ham will take place on Sunday, February 4th.
- Kick off will be at 2pm GMT.
- Old Trafford will host.
What TV channel is Man Utd vs West Ham on and can it be live streamed?
- Man Utd vs West Ham will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.
- Sky Sports customers can live stream the match via the NOW/ Sky Sports app.
- Alternatively, you can stay up to date with all the action from Old Trafford by following SunSport’s live blog.
What are the odds?
Match result
READ MORE SUN STORIES
- Man Utd – 4/6
- Draw – 3/1
- West Ham – 7/2
*Odds courtesy of Paddy Power and are correct at the time of publication.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
