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It has banana skin written all over it. Manchester United welcome David Moyes’ West Ham to Old Trafford hoping to leapfrog them in the table to sixth position.
The Hammers are unbeaten in their last five but the last three of those have been draws. Said Benrahma was sold to Lyon in the transfer window but Kalvin Phillips has had a sterling start to his career at the Olympic Stadium.
With United looking to build on what was arguably their best overall display this season in the 4-3 victory over Wolves, this game promises to be an intriguing tactical battle.
Here are the areas where this game could be won or lost:
Casemiro vs James Ward-Prowse
A midfielder who is prone to giving away fouls all the time versus a player who is as close to a guarantee on set-pieces as statistically possible. What could possibly go wrong?
A lot, and one would presume that Erik ten Hag’s first instruction to his charges tomorrow would be to avoid fouling West Ham players anywhere near their own box.
His first shout will be directed at Casemiro, who will come up directly against Ward Prowse and is trigger-happy for fouls. In Kudus and “JWP”, Casemiro and Mainoo will have their hands full with the Hammers’ advanced midfielders.
Moyes’s team leads the league on goals from set-pieces which is a recipe for success for them considering the height in the team and Ward-Prowse.
They don’t need the ball much, they just need it static, and in the right area.
A deep block vs United’s attack
This almost feels like cheating because this is a battle that can be inserted into any United game when they are expected to boss possession.
United’s attack seems very one-dimensional, extremely reliant on their pacy forwards running into space behind the opposition. Before the Wolves game, where signs of the old United were back, through balls looked like their only source of goals.
Moyes, therefore, is the worst match-up possible for this team. West Ham will stay deep and compact, urging United to beat them off the dribble or with a moment of magic.
Without constant on and off-the-ball movement, the game could be a chore for United’s attack.
Ben Johnson vs Marcus Rashford
Even though the second point above covers the challenge United’s attack faces holistically, this deserves special mention. Ben Johnson has played only four league games this season as a right-back and his place in the team is arguably one that Ten Hag would look to exploit.
Rashford showed hints of getting back to his best against Wolves and there could be far better opponents to come up against than Ben Johnson.
Johnson doesn’t look comfortable on the ball so if Rashford presses with the same intensity as he did against Wolves, there could be transition opportunities for United against a scrambled defence.
Furthermore, Rashford will have a clear pace advantage and with Shaw overlapping, Ten Hag can be forgiven for thinking that United’s strongest attacking flank is also West Ham’s weakest defensive one.
That’s an opportunity they can’t afford to let go of.
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