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25 min: Nothing comes from the second corner of the sequence. Potts draws a foul and West Ham push upfield.
24 min: … but so much for xG, because Manchester United then launch their first serious attack for a while, Bruno Fernandes chasing a long bouncer down the right and hooking infield, forcing Todibo to clank out for a corner. The set piece is played back up the right wing, where Mbeumo aims a glorious curler towards the top left from the right-hand edge of the box. Areola is forced to arch his back and fingertip over the bar. Wonderful effort, wonderful save.
23 min: Manchester United’s xG is currently a Tottenham Hotspurian 0.06.
21 min: … but otherwise the Old Trafford faithful have fallen a little quiet right now. This game is currently being played mainly in Manchester United’s half.
20 min: Soucek’s cross from the right is deflected out for a corner, West Ham’s third of the evening already. Bowen swings it in. Bruno Fernandes heads it upfield, but not very far. Diouf meets the ball just inside the area, and has time to get a shot away, but scuff-slices it horribly, the ball squirting miles wide left. The home supporters have their fun with him.
18 min: Wan-Bissaka gets the better of his old team-mate Dalot down the right, and pings a cross in for Bowen, who has time to turn on the right-hand edge of the Manchester United box, but not enough to get a shot away. West Ham's confidence is growing.
16 min: Wilson is sprung into space down the left, and wins another West Ham corner. Earlier in the move, Bruno Fernandes had been caught by Potts, but didn’t get the free kick. He’s not happy, so wags his finger furiously at the referee while saying his piece. Nothing comes of the corner, which is probably just as well all round.
14 min: West Ham have worked their way into this game after a slow start. Wilson has the opportunity to release Soucek down the middle of the park, albeit a difficult one that involves him spinning and pinging a pass from the halfway line. He overcooks it, the ball bouncing through to Lammens.
12 min: Heaven, perhaps a little bit shaken after that early booking, plays a poor backpass down the United right, forcing Lammens to race out of his box and slice into the crowd. Not the ideal start for the young man, a surprise selection by Ruben Amorim this evening.
10 min: Bruno Fernandes shapes to shoot from just inside the West Ham area. He doesn’t really connect properly. The ball, and then Fernandes’ foot, connects with the sliding Soucek, coming across to block. Another penalty claim. Another one correctly waved away.
9 min: Bowen is found in some space down the right so Heaven races over to scythe him down from behind. Mistimed and clumsy, and worst of all, needless. Bowen was facing the touchline and going nowhere. The 19-year-old goes into the book.
7 min: The first major set piece of the evening is a non-event.
6 min: … so having said that, Soucek plays Wan-Bissaka into acres of space down the right. He cuts back for Mateus Fernandes, who carefully aims a sidefooter towards the bottom right. Casemiro slides in to deflect over the bar for the first major set piece of the evening.
5 min: Apart from one split second when Wilson threatened to turn Heaven on the halfway line – Mbeumo was on hand to support and snuff out any counter-attacking danger pretty quickly – it’s been all Manchester United in these opening moments.
3 min: Diallo jinks into the West Ham box again from the right. He goes over, feeling the faint impression of Mateus Fernandes’ palm on the back of his shirt. He claims a penalty, but come off it. The referee waves play on.
2 min: Diallo dribbles his way down the right and reaches the box, then crosses low. The ball pings off Zirkzee and back out to the right for a throw. Soon after, Dalot probes down the left. Manchester United starting quickly, looking lively on both flanks.
West Ham, resplendent in a blend of grey, beige and cream with a dash of yellow, get the ball rolling. They’re kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half.
The teams are out! Manchester United in their red, white and black, West Ham United in second-choice ecru. According to House & Garden magazine, ecru is “a notoriously finicky colour to define” but they give it a go anyway: it’s “a blend of grey, beige, cream, and a dash of yellow, less creamy than cream, and not eggshell.” So there you have it. We’ll be off in a minute.
West Ham are still in mourning after last weekend’s passing of their beloved Billy Bonds, once voted by fans as their greatest-ever player. That’s no small statement at a club where Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking and Geoff Hurst once strutted their stuff. Two FA Cup lifts, a club-record 799 appearances, plus runners-up medals in the European Cup Winners’ Cup and League Cup … it’s the stuff of legend all right. Rest well, Billy.
Nuno Espírito Santo speaks to Sky Sports. “We have to improve … always looking for a better performance … we are trying to improve game by game … we expect a competitive game … we will try to silence [the Manchester United fans] with our game … we have to think about the game, not the outcome … action by action.”
As for Lucas Paquetá’s replacement Tomáš Souček: “He is a fantastic player … works very hard … he has the ability to score.”
… meanwhile on the subject of Leny Yoro, who was clearly unhappy after being hooked against Palace on Sunday, Amorim says: “I know on the TV he appeared really disappointed with his performance … I need to be normal all the time … I spoke [to him] about the message … all the trouble that is to see a Manchester United player so disappointed on the bench … it was just a tactical issue … a tactical option, just that.”
Ruben Amorim talks to Sky Sports. “We showed last game that we can play the same way but with a different intensity … last game at home we played a low pace … today we should be better … we need to be careful with set pieces … and transitions … we want to be the dominant team … need to be focused in every detail.”
He also reports that the injury to Matthijs de Ligt is a “small thing” and he expects him back for Manchester United’s next game at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night. Ayden Heaven will play in De Ligt’s usual central position tonight: “I think he has big character and is ready to play in that position, he will suit it really well.”
The three points on offer tonight are precious for both teams. Should Manchester United claim them, they’ll go level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea. (If they want actual fourth place, they’ll need to win by nine goals this evening.) As for West Ham, they were bumped into the relegation places last night due to Leeds United’s victory over Chelsea. They need to win by a two-goal margin tonight if they’re to leapfrog Leeds back out of the dropzone.
Manchester United make three changes to the starting XI named for the 2-1 win at Crystal Palace. Matheus Cunha returns from injury, stepping up along with Noussair Mazraoui and Ayden Heaven. Leny Yoro and Mason Mount drop to the bench, while Matthijs de Ligt misses out altogether.
West Ham United make just one change from the team sent out for the 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool, and it’s enforced. Lucas Paquetá having talked himself into a suspension, Tomáš Souček comes in to take his place in midfield.
The teams
Manchester United: Lammens, Dalot, Heaven, Shaw, Diallo, Casemiro, Fernandes, Mazraoui, Mbeumo, Cunha, Zirkzee.
Subs: Bayindir, Martinez, Mount, Malacia, Dorgu, Yoro, Ugarte, Mainoo, Lacey.
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Todibo, Diouf, Magassa, Potts, Bowen, Soucek, Fernandes, Wilson.
Subs: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Rodriguez, Irving, Earthy, Marshall, Mayers, Kante.
Referee: Andrew Kitchen
VAR: Peter Bankes
Preamble
West Ham United have beaten Manchester United in four of their last five Premier League meetings. Now then, three of those victories were at the London Stadium. But the most recent one was at Old Trafford in May, when the Hammers completed the double over the Red Devils for the first time since 2007, and there is no way the hosts will be going into this fixture counting their chickens. However while West Ham arrive in the north after a supine surrender to Liverpool at the weekend, Manchester United are coming off the back of a turnaround boost at Crystal Palace. So while the recent record between the two teams favours Nuno Espírito Santo’s men, the immediate form is with Ruben Amorim’s side. Balanced rather deliciously, then. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
