Manchester United vs West Ham Preview and Betting Tip

Thiago’s rash early tackle on Gundogan ensured we collected on our bet for Liverpool vs Man City. It was a humbling night for the reigning Champions as they fell to a 4-1 defeat. The focus switches to the FA Cup in midweek and the clash of the round is Manchester United vs West Ham. It kicks off at 7.30pm on Tuesday and you can watch it live on BBC1.

The Red Devils knocked Liverpool out in the last round, beating them 3-2. The Hammers secured their 5th round berth with a 4-0 win vs Doncaster. It finished 3-1 to Utd when these two teams clashed in the EPL in December in London. Can West Ham and David Moyes turn the tables, or will Man Utd make home advantage count?

United’s Frailties Exposed By Everton

On Saturday evening Everton scored a last gasp goal to secure a 3-3 draw at Old Trafford. Man Utd played the visitors off the park for the majority of the game and took a 2-0 lead into the half time break. A 5 minute burst and poor goalkeeping saw The Toffees claw it back to 2-2 at the start of the 2nd half but Scott McTominay’s header looked like it would be enough to take all 3 points for the hosts. However, Dominic Calvert Lewin pounced late on and broke Utd hearts.  

David De Gea’s half-hearted attempt to save Lewin’s effort was shocking. He clearly baulked at the thought of physical contact and instead of diving at the striker’s feet he decided to take evasive action and jumped out of the way. Dean Henderson is likely to come into the side for this Cup tie and if he plays well, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could stick with him in the Premier League.

Whatever about Utd’s defensive problems, they looked like a quality side in possession vs Everton. It was the first time they really controlled a game against a decent side and they scored a couple of lovely goals via Cavani and Fernandes. There is no doubting that they have the firepower, but will the defence be able to cope with the physical presence of Antonio if he is fit enough to play? Judging by how they handled Calvert-Lewin, I am not so sure they will.

Hammers On The Up

David Moyes is doing a great job at West Ham. His second spell in charge has gone much better than expected and they have recovered well from a poor start in the Premier League. They won just 2 of their first 7 games and many experts were predicting a relegation battle for them. The Hammers have won 9 matches from 16 since then, losing just 3 times. However, those 3 losses came in their only 3 matches against ‘Big Six’ clubs.  

They caused Utd lots of problems in their 3-1 defeat back in December and they led 1-0 at half time. That first half performance will give them confidence that they can pull off an upset at Old Trafford. Moyes played a strong side in West Ham’s 4-0 win vs Doncaster and he is likely to do the same here. However, he will have to do without Jesse Lingard as he is cup-tied having played for Utd in the FA Cup vs Watford.

Moyes still has plenty of attacking options to choose from. Michal Antonio will surely lead the line if fit and he will relish the challenge of roughing up the Utd defence. Bowen, Benrahma, Lanzini and Yarmolenko will fight it out for a starting spot behind Antonio and Thomas Soucek is available after his ridiculous red card vs Fulham was rescinded. They have the capabilities to cause Utd plenty of headaches in attack, but can their defence nullify the dangerous Utd frontline?

Closely Matched

Looking back at the recent head-to-head results between these two clubs indicates that they are pretty closely matched. They have both won 2 of the last 5 games each with a solitary draw. However, all of West Ham’s most recent victories against Man Utd came at home. They have failed to win at Old Trafford since Carlos Tevez scored a late winner to keep them in the Premier League back in 2007.  

Manchester United vs West Ham: Recent Head-To-Head

West Ham will not be too concerned with their Old Trafford record coming into this match. It is a one off cup tie and they have been in excellent form, so confidence levels should be high. The pressure is all on Man Utd. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made no secret of his desire to win a trophy and this competition represents Man Utd’s best chance of securing some silverware.  

Utd haven’t exactly handled the pressure of mounting a title challenge very well so far. Yes, they put 10 man Southampton to the sword but that late collapse vs Everton was worrying, as was their shock defeat at Old Trafford vs Sheffield United. The mentality of this team is being questioned now and it remains to be seen if they have the answers.

United Should Just About Prevail

This really is a tough tie to call. There is no doubting that United have the better players and a deeper squad but it could all come down to how badly the Everton result has affected their confidence. West Ham, on the other hand, should be in a much better frame of mind, even if their 0-0 draw vs Fulham was disappointing. However, Michal Antonio faces a late fitness test and if he is missing it will seriously dent their chances. Paul Pogba is out injured for the hosts, as is Eric Bailly.

United have a 5 day break until their next match after this game while West Ham have 6 days off to recover, so both managers are likely to name strong teams. I think The Hammers will put it right up to United but the hosts should have enough firepower up front to see them through. Back Man United to win and both teams to score at odds of 2/1 with Bet365.

Manchester United vs West Ham Tip: Man Utd to win and both teams to score @ 2/1 Bet365

Manchester united v west ham Key Quotes

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: “To get to a final, sometimes you’re lucky with the draw, but to win a final, then all the good teams have been beaten. So that’s the next step for us in the development of this team: to go all the way in a competition.”

David Moyes: “Overall I think we’ve competed quite well against the top teams. We’ve got a bit to go to be at that level and that can take a long time. I hope we’ll give them a very good game. The FA Cup has always caused upsets so we’ve got to try and do that this time.”

Dave Stevos