Ten points and 10 places separated Manchester United and West Ham United heading into gameweek 14, and the pair will close out the midweek schedule at Old Trafford on Thursday evening. United head into the clash on a high after a 2-1 comeback victory at Crystal Palace, while West Ham were left frustrated by Lucas Paquetá’s bizarre red card during their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.
Manchester United snapped Crystal Palace’s longest-ever Premier League unbeaten home run with a determined display at Selhurst Park. Jean-Philippe Mateta struck first from a retaken penalty, but United hit back through Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount, both capitalising on Bruno Fernandes’s set-piece excellence. The result brought welcome relief after their disappointing home loss to 10-man Everton and lifted the Red Devils into seventh place, only three points behind third-placed Chelsea.
Rúben Amorim has steadied the ship since a turbulent start to the campaign, overseeing just one defeat in United’s last seven matches across all competitions. However, a defeat on Thursday would place him on the wrong side of history, as he would become the fastest United manager to reach 10 Premier League home losses, doing so in just 20 matches. Goals have also dried up for the hosts in December, as they enter this fixture on a three-game losing run during the month without scoring.
West Ham, meanwhile, journey to Manchester after their three-game unbeaten streak was halted at Anfield. In a match filled with controversy, Paquetá’s dissent earned him a red card between Liverpool’s two goals, followed by an explosive online tirade aimed at the FA. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side sit in 17th place and could even drop into the relegation zone depending on earlier results, adding more pressure to Thursday’s encounter.
Nuno is still chasing his first Premier League away win as West Ham manager after four failed attempts, and the club has not seen a manager go winless in his first five top-flight away games since Avram Grant in 2010. Even so, the Irons can draw inspiration from last season’s remarkable league double over Manchester United.
Their 2-1 triumph at the London Stadium — the match that spelled the end for Erik ten Hag — was followed by a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford in May. Another win on Thursday would hand West Ham consecutive league victories at United’s ground for the first time since 1934.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Matheus Cunha has returned to full training after missing Manchester United’s last two matches due to a head injury sustained in a training-ground accident, and the forward is on track to be available for Thursday’s clash.
Even with his comeback, it is difficult to see Mason Mount or Joshua Zirkzee losing their starting spots after both found the net in the morale-boosting win at Selhurst Park. As a result, Cunha may have to make his impact from the bench.
His return means only Benjamin Šeško (knee) and Harry Maguire (thigh) remain unavailable for the hosts. Lisandro Martínez is no longer on that list after making his long-awaited comeback from a knee issue as a late substitute on Sunday.
As for West Ham, Paquetá will be absent through suspension following his furious outburst at the referee — his second ban of the season after accumulating too many bookings. Nuno Espírito Santo has a couple of options to reshape his midfield in the Brazilian's absence.
Mateus Fernandes could be moved centrally with Luis Guilherme operating on the flank — especially with Crysencio Summerville a major doubt due to a minor knock — or Santo could opt for a more conservative setup by fielding Tomas Soucek, Freddie Potts and Soungoutou Magassa together.
West Ham’s only other injury concerns are Lukasz Fabianski (back) and Oliver Scarles (shoulder). Jarrod Bowen, meanwhile, will be chasing a slice of history on Thursday, hoping to become the first West Ham player to score in three straight Premier League games against Manchester United since Jermain Defoe achieved the feat between 2001 and 2002.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Lammens; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Shaw; Diallo, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dalot; Mbeumo, Mount; Zirkzee
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Diouf; Potts, Soucek; Bowen, Fernandes, Guilherme; Wilson
EXPERT PREDICTION
Manchester United 2-1 West Ham
