West Ham United vs Manchester United
Manchester United will look to string together consecutive Premier League victories for the first time in quite a while when they visit West Ham United at the London Stadium this Sunday.
Last weekend, the Red Devils defeated the Bees, but they were held to another draw in the Europa League, courtesy of Fenerbahce last night, and the short turnaround between games doesn’t help them either.
Erik ten Hag’s men are currently 12th in the standings with 11 points, which is far from their Top 4 objective this year.
Three notches below Manchester United are West Ham United, who have eight points. The Hammers are fresh from a 4-1 capitulation against the Spurs last time out.
Like Erik ten Hag, Julen Lopetegui has been beset with sack rumours because he has struggled in his first few months in charge, so he also needs a win here.
Talking Points
West Ham United are short up front
The Hammers will have a difficult time scoring goals this weekend, as two of their best forwards are unavailable against the Red Devils. Mohammed Kudus will have to serve his suspension, while Niclas Fullkrug, one of their top signings this summer, is injured.
Kudus lost his head during their London Derby defeat against Tottenham. He was initially shown a yellow card for pushing Micky van de Ven, but it was upgraded to a red after a VAR review since he also clashed with Pape Matar Sarr.
It got so bad for Kudus that he is facing the prospect of serving an extra punishment on top of his three-game suspension, as the English FA has charged the former Ajax winger for improper conduct.
As for Fullkrug, it’s a shame that he has yet to kick on for the Hammers, and the former BVB striker is dealing with a calf injury that doesn’t have a definite recovery timeline.
With the two of them sidelined, Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, and Tomas Soucek will shoulder the heavy load for West Ham United. They all have two goals each to lead the Hammers in scoring.
Crysencio Summerville will also get his chance to open his account this season, as he’ll take over the starting left-wing spot vacated by Kudus.
Fernandes will have fresher legs for Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes didn’t play against Fenerbahce last night since he had to serve his suspension after collecting two yellow cards against Porto. But because his red card against Tottenham was successfully appealed, he should be back in the starting XI on Sunday.
The extra few days of rest might be a blessing in disguise for the Portuguese midfielder because he has shown signs of burnout in the past few weeks. Fernandes rarely misses games since he doesn’t get the injury bug.
Fernandes returned to the Premier League 2024 highlights reel last weekend with his clever backheel assist to Rasmus Hojlund, and Red Devils fans expect more of those from the team captain.
History
West Ham United have won their last two Premier League games against Manchester United at the London Stadium, and the Hammers are two wins away from matching their longest home winning streak against the Red Devils since a run of four between 1974 and 1977.
Overall, Manchester United have lost four of their last eight Premier League matches against West Ham at the London Stadium (W3, D1), which is more than they had when the Hammers had their home matches at the Boleyn Ground (W8, D9, L3).
However, the last time West Ham United won back-to-back home matches in the Premier League was in December 2023, although their last home game was a 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town.
The Red Devils defeated the Hammers in their most recent meeting in February, as Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho (brace) gave them a 3-0 win at Old Trafford.
Betting Tip
The Premier League 2024 odds predict a close battle between two embattled managers, but it is the visitors who have the slight edge. Manchester United are priced at 2.31 to win, but West Ham United aren’t far behind at 2.65, and a draw is at 3.42 in the 1X2 market.
While staying unbeaten is not enough for Manchester United, to their credit, they haven’t lost a match since late September, so I’m giving them the edge here.
Furthermore, SBOTOP bettors can also go for a relatively high-scoring game, with alternatives like Over 2.75 at 1.67, Over 3.00 at 1.87, and Total Goals 2-3 at 2.06 worth considering.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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