West Ham vs Man Utd preview, predictions & team news
The West Ham-Man Utd clash at the London Stadium will be contested between two teams who are yet to hit the heights they would have wanted to before the season started.
Despite spending big once again in the summer, the Hammers haven’t really taken advantage of a favourable start to the season: yes, they’ve beaten Norwich and Watford but will be disappointed to have only managed two draws from Aston Villa and Brighton away.
After a 4-0 hammering of Chelsea, Man Utd have faltered. Their win against Leicester last weekend will have been a huge relief to Man Utd fans following poor results against the likes of Crystal Palace and Southampton.
These two are level on points going into Sunday’s encounter and a victory will likely see Man Utd climb back into the top four.
Read on for our predictions, key players, TV info and team news.
When is West Ham vs Man Utd and where can I watch live?
Competition: Premier League
Venue: London Stadium
Date: Sunday, 22 September 2019
Kick-off: 2:00 PM BST
TV coverage (UK): Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
Last five meetings: West Ham vs Man Utd
13 April 2019: Man Utd 2-1 West Ham (Premier League)
29 September 2018: West Ham 3-1 Man Utd (Premier League)
10 May 2018: West Ham 0-0 Man Utd (Premier League)
13 August 2017: Man Utd 4-0 West Ham (Premier League)
2 January 2017: West Ham 0-2 Man Utd (Premier League)
Aggregate Score: West Ham (LWDLL) 4-9 Man Utd (WLDWW)
Ones to watch
West Ham: Aaron Cresswell
Perhaps not the most glamourous one to watch but Aaron Cresswell could have a massive Sunday ahead of him.
Following Arthur Masuaku’s soft red card at Villa Park, it appears as though it will be Cresswell’s turn to try and secure the left-back spot after a 2018/19 season which consisted of both players repeatedly blowing their chance at cementing a starting space.
Masuaku has been decent this season but a strong display for Cresswell could well push him ahead, particularly if he nullifies the likes of Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata.
Key stat: Cresswell has played in just one Premier League game so far this season.
Man Utd: Marcus Rashford
Given that Anthony Martial, Daniel James and Paul Pogba are all struggling for fitness, an unprecedented amount of responsibility will rest on the shoulders of Rashford when it comes to creating things for Man Utd on Sunday.
He has scored three times this season already but has often struggled to produce the form which many Man Utd fans have been expecting from him since he burst onto the scene in 2016.
West Ham’s defence has looked vulnerable at times this season, so Rashford should have chances to exploit it. Whether he will is a different matter.
Key stat: Since his debut, Rashford has been involved in more goals for Man Utd than any other player in all competitions (70).
Team news
West Ham
Arthur Masuaku is suspended after his red card at Villa Park on Monday night. Antonio is also out, and Sebastien Haller and Albian Ajeti are West Ham’s only fit strikers.
Predicted XI: Fabianski; Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Noble; Yarmolenko, Lanzini, Anderson; Haller.
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Man Utd
Pogba, Martial and James all missed the victory over Astana in the week and could miss out on Sunday too. Aaron Wan-Bissaka recovered from a knock to play against Leicester and should feature. Young striker Mason Greenwood is pushing for more minutes after his match-winning display on Thursday night, but may have to make do with a place on the bench.
Luke Shaw is on the road to recovery, but may also be forced to watch from the sidelines.
Predicted XI:De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Young; Matic, McTominay; Greenwood, Lingard, Pereira; Rashford.
Squawka prediction
West Ham are strong at home and will certainly fancy their chances against a Man Utd side that they have matched almost stride for stride this season. A clean sheet away at Villa was a bonus for them – they have been few and far between this season.
A lot depends on the side Ole Gunnar Solskjaer puts out against Astana but his thin squad means players will likely be forced to play in both fixtures. They will be looking for all three points, of course, but they may have to settle for one.
Scoreline prediction: West Ham 2-2 Man Utd
