Manchester United vs West Ham
Premier League
Sunday
4th February 2024
Old Trafford
The most comprehensive preview, detailed analysis and reliable predictions of the Premier League fixture between Manchester United and West Ham.
Manchester United vs West Ham: Preview
Manchester United form analysis
The Red Devils United’s form over this run of games has been middling and inconsistent. They started with two poor results, first held to a goalless draw at home to Liverpool despite control of the game, before suffering a 2-0 defeat at West Ham as United failed to respond to goals from Bowen and Kudus. Their attacking threat finally came alive in winning a thriller 3-2 at Aston Villa, overturning McGinn and Dendoncker goals with a Garnacho brace and late winner from new boy Højlund.
However, defensive issues persisted as Forest claimed a famous 2-1 victory to end United’s brief momentum, despite Rashford briefly equalizing. A rollercoaster 2-2 home draw with Spurs rounded off the games, with United throwing away a lead given to them by Højlund and Rashford through sloppy defending, allowing quickfire Tottenham replies before halftime. So while Ten Hag’s side have shown they can score goals through the likes of debutant Højlund, tidy linkup play, and moments of individual brilliance, consistency at both ends is still lacking if they are to solidify a top four place.
West Ham form analysis
West Ham began this run in excellent goalscoring form, dismantling Wolves 3-0 at home thanks to a Kudus brace and a late Bowen finish. They backed this up with another clean sheet and 2-0 home win over Manchester United, showcasing defensive stability to complement their attacking threat. However, the Hammers struggled to build momentum, frustrated in a goalless home draw against Brighton next time out. Their inconsistency continued away at Arsenal, where they stunned the league leaders 2-0 through goals from Soucek and Mavropanos.
But West Ham failed to push on from this result, twice blowing the lead in a disappointing 2-2 draw away to Sheffield United, despite Ward-Prowse’s penalty restoring their lead after Cornet’s opener was canceled out. While flashes of promise have been shown in comfortable wins and the surprise Arsenal scalp. The inability to string together consistent 90-minute performances is holding West Ham back. Defensive lapses, profligate finishing and dropped intensity have prevented the translation of their early season promise into more tangible results.
