Manchester United will be aiming to build on a welcome point at Anfield last weekend when they resume their Premier League campaign away to West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.
Erik ten Hag's side drew 0-0 with Liverpool in their last match, with the result leaving them in seventh spot in the table on 28 points, while West Ham will enter this game off the back of a 5-1 defeat to Jurgen Klopp's side in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night.
Match preview
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West Ham's inconsistency has been on display in December, winning three, drawing one and losing two of their six games this month, and their two defeats have been heavy ones - a 5-0 at Fulham in the Premier League and a 5-1 at Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.
Head coach David Moyes made the decision to rest some important players against Liverpool, and a hugely disappointing performance saw the Hammers bow out of the League Cup.
West Ham are through to the last-16 stage of the Europa League, though, and they have won four of their last six in the Premier League, including a 3-0 success over Wolverhampton Wanderers at home last weekend.
The Hammers are currently in ninth position in the table, boasting a record of eight wins, three draws and six defeats, which has brought them 27 points, one fewer than seventh-placed Man United.
West Ham have picked up 14 points from their eight home league games this season, meanwhile, and they would move into sixth with a victory over Man United on Saturday.
The capital outfit recorded a 1-0 win against the Red Devils in the corresponding contest between the two teams last term, with Said Benrahma's first-half goal proving to be the difference at the London Stadium.
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Man United, meanwhile, have not been in action since the 0-0 with Liverpool in the league last weekend, which was a positive result considering the noise surrounding the club entering the contest.
Ten Hag's side have only won one of their last six games in all competitions, which was a 2-1 home success over Chelsea in the Premier League on December 6, and they have since lost to Bournemouth and Bayern Munich, with the defeats preceding the goalless draw at Anfield.
The Red Devils have won nine, drawn one and lost seven of their 17 league games this season to collect 28 points, which has left them in seventh spot in the table, six points behind fourth-placed Manchester City.
Man United are out of the EFL Cup and Champions League, while they did not even qualify for the latter stages of the Europa League, with a poor group-stage campaign in the European Cup seeing them finish bottom.
Ten Hag's team will follow this match with a home game against high-flying Aston Villa on December 26, before finishing the year away to Nottingham Forest, so it is a big period of the season for the club.
Man United, who have picked up 13 points from their eight away league games this season, last beat West Ham at the London Stadium in September 2021, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesse Lingard on the scoresheet for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team.
Team News
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West Ham will again be missing Michail Antonio due to a long-term knee problem, but Nayef Aguerd and Maxwel Cornet are both expected to return after illness.
Head coach Moyes will make changes to the side that started against Liverpool in the EFL Cup, with Lucas Paqueta, James Ward-Prowse, Kurt Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson Palmieri and Lukasz Fabianski all set to return.
Mohammed Kudus, who was linked with Man United over the summer, has scored five Premier League goals this season, and he is set to feature in the final third alongside Paqueta and Bowen.
As for Man United, captain Bruno Fernandes will be back following a suspension, and his return could mean that Sofyan Amrabat drops down to the bench, with Scott McTominay moving into a deeper area.
Tyrell Malacia, Harry Maguire, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Mason Mount, Jadon Sancho and Amad Diallo are again unavailable for selection.
Victor Lindelof is also out, having undergone a minor operation, but Anthony Martial is likely to return to the squad, with the forward recently absent through illness.
Christian Eriksen is back in training after a knee problem and has an outside chance of being in the squad, but Diogo Dalot is suspended following his red card at Anfield.
As a result, Aaron Wan-Bissaka will feature at right-back, but Marcus Rashford's wait for a Premier League start could continue, with Antony and Alejandro Garnacho again likely to support Rasmus Hojlund, who is still searching for his first goal in England's top flight.
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse; Kudus, Bowen, Paqueta
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Evans, Shaw; Mainoo, McTominay; Antony, Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
We say: West Ham United 2-2 Manchester United
There has not actually been a draw between these two sides since July 2020, with each of their last nine meetings producing a winner, but we are finding it difficult to separate them here. Man United will be the fresher of the two sides; West Ham's league form is strong, though, and both managers might have to accept a share of the spoils in the capital this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Matt Law
