Manchester United vs West Ham Preview, Prediction

Manchester united will host West Ham today in what will be their last home game of the season. Eric Bailly is set to miss Manchester United’s match against West Ham as questions continue about David de Gea’s starting role.

Bailly went to hospital on Sunday after a nasty clash of heads with team-mate Harry Maguire in the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea. United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does not expect the former to be involved on Wednesday.

De Gea’s poor performance at Wembley has increased scrutiny on his position with Sergio Romero waiting in the wings, while Solskjaer indicated Luke Shaw is fit after missing the last two matches with an ankle complaint.

Ryan Fredericks and Robert Snodgrass remain injury doubts for the Hammers.

Right-back Fredericks missed Friday’s win over Watford with a calf problem and midfielder Snodgrass has yet to figure since the restart due to a back injury.

Manager David Moyes is expected to name an unchanged starting XI against his former club.

West Ham have been brilliant since the break, and they will cause Man Utd problems. Eric Bailly might be out so Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will revert back to a back four.

Manchester United must be focusing all of their energy on a top-four spot. This game is key and you would expect Martial, Greenwood and Marcus Rashford to be back leading the line.

Could West Ham take their finger off it? Possibly. I could see them sitting in, but if they cannot support Michail Antonio, they will struggle to get out. Man Utd have pace and movement up front, but their defence is not right.

David De Gea has world-class attributes but his confidence is broken, and yet he stays in the team. He has become a liability for big games.

Since the return, Tottenham away was the big game and Manchester United drew that, with the games after being ones which you would expect a decent Manchester United side to win.

This one is a must-win, which then gives them a cushion of a draw in the last game at Leicester to get into the top four, and they will get over the line in this one. It will be tense but they will wear West Ham down.

Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 11 Premier League home games against West Ham (W9 D2), since a 0-1 loss in May 2007.

West Ham have won two of their last three Premier League games against Manchester United (L1), more than they had in their previous 19 against them (D5 L13).

West Ham are looking to complete their first league double over Manchester United since 2006-07, following their 2-0 win at the London Stadium in September.

Manchester United lost their last home league game last season, going down 0-2 against Cardiff. They’ve not lost their last home game in consecutive top-flight seasons since 1972-73/1973-74.

West Ham have won their final away game in each of the last three Premier League seasons, this following a run of eight successive such defeats in the competition.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s Manchester United side are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League games (W8 D4), equalling the Norwegian’s best ever run in the competition with the Red Devils (12 – December 2018-March 2019). In fact, only José Mourinho has been on a longer run as Man Utd manager since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013 (25 games).

This will be only David Moyes’ second away Premier League match at Old Trafford since leaving the club in April 2014, losing 3-1 with Sunderland in December 2016. The last former Man Utd manager to win away at Old Trafford in a top-flight match was Dave Sexton in March 1982 with Coventry City.

Both Anthony Martial (11) and Marcus Rashford (12) have reached double figures in the Premier League for Manchester United at Old Trafford this season, only the third time more than one player has done so for the club in a season; it also happened in 2007-08 (Tevez and Ronaldo) and 1999-00 (Solskjaer, Yorke, Cole).

Of Manchester United’s 97 shots in Premier League since the restart, 39% have been taken (22) or created (16) by Bruno Fernandes.

David de Gea needs one more clean sheet to surpass Peter Schmeichel’s 112 Premier League shutouts for Manchester United; should he do so, he will have the most clean sheets of any goalkeeper for the club in the competition.