Seeking a first Premier League double over Manchester United in 17 years, West Ham United make the long trek north to battle the Red Devils in Sunday's intriguing Premier League affair.
Erik ten Hag's men came up trumps 4-3 in a chaotic clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers in midweek, while the Irons and Bournemouth played out a much more low-key 1-1 draw.
Match preview
© Reuters
If the script was followed during the first half of Man United's Molineux meeting with Wolves - where the reinstated Marcus Rashford took just five minutes to break the deadlock - Gary O'Neil's men ripped up the screenplay as the game progressed and had seemingly snatched a point from the jaws of defeat.
Pablo Sarabia, Max Kilman and Pedro Neto - netting deep into injury time - has responded to efforts from Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund and Scott McTominay, but just a couple of moments after Neto's late leveller sent Molineux into pandemonium, Red Devils protege Kobbie Mainoo justified the ongoing hype with a spectacular solo effort.
Weaving his way through a sea of orange shirts, opening up his body and curling into the bottom corner with aplomb, the 18-year-old continued his rise to prominence with the goal that consolidated Man United's hold on seventh place in the Premier League table, as crestfallen Wolves players dropped to their knees.
Amid the warranted praise for Mainoo, Man United were very nearly left to bemoan another dissatisfactory defensive display, one which saw them become just the second Premier League team to ship 50 goals in all tournaments this season, alongside relegation favourites Sheffield United.
Seven of those strikes have come in their last three Premier League home matches versus Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Bournemouth, but by successfully fighting fire with fire once again at Molineux, Man United enter the weekend with three wins and draw to show from their last four games in all tournaments.
© Reuters
While the on-field activity dominated West Midlands headlines on Thursday evening, transfer talk took precedence during West Ham's underwhelming draw with Bournemouth, where Irons new boy Kalvin Phillips could hardly have started his Hammers career in worse fashion.
With just three minutes gone, the Manchester City loanee's howler presented Dominic Solanke with his 13th goal of the Premier League season, but just past the hour mark, James Ward-Prowse did what he does best from dead-ball situations, converting the penalty which rescued a point for the Europa Conference League holders.
The Irons' hard-fought draw keeps them one place and one point better off than Man United in sixth spot, despite now failing to triumph in any of their last five matches in all tournaments, but Thursday's result soon paled into insignificance as details of Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals's botched transfers came to light.
Late paperwork calamities - which are supposedly being investigated by FIFA - prevented Lyon-bound Benrahma and Real Betis target Fornals from completing their anticipated exits, but the latter's departure has now gone through, and Lyon are still working to bring Benrahma to France past the deadline.
A six-game unbeaten run in the top flight is nothing to be scoffed at, though, and West Ham deservedly beat a meet Man United 2-0 at the London Stadium on December 23, but they have been condemned to a 1-0 defeat in each of their last three league visits to the Theatre of Dreams.
Team News
© Reuters
The seven-goal extravaganza with Wolves saw Lisandro Martinez make his first Premier League start since aggravating a foot injury in September, but concerns have been raised about his availability for Sunday after he was seen receiving treatment in the dugout towards the end of the game.
Ten Hag played down his substitution as precautionary, but the hosts are already managing without Anthony Martial (groin), Mason Mount (calf) and Tyrell Malacia (knee), although the latter two are working on the Carrington pitches and should not be sidelined for too much longer.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (leg) is unlikely to make the cut either, but Victor Lindelof (groin) is in with a stronger chance of making the matchday squad, as is Sofyan Amrabat after Morocco's Africa Cup of Nations elimination.
As for West Ham, Moyes unsurprisingly had not had a chance to assess Thursday's starters before Friday morning's press conference, but the Scotsman did confirm that Michail Antonio (knee) was yet to return to team training and remains unavailable.
Lucas Paqueta's calf problem is yet to clear up either, while Benrahma still has one more game of his three-match ban to serve for his red card in the FA Cup against Bristol City, but right-back Vladimir Coufal is back from a suspension of his own.
Moyes's rearguard ranks could also be strengthened by the return of Nayef Aguerd for the same reason as Amrabat, and while Phillips will not be demoted to the bench on his mistake alone, Moyes may simply consider dropping him due to the quick turnaround and lack of recent action.
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Onana; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Mainoo, McTominay; Antony, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Areola; Coufal, Aguerd, Zouma, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez; Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Cornet; Bowen
We say: Manchester United 2-2 West Ham United
After a trio of successive 1-0 wins over West Ham at Old Trafford, Man United - if their recent defensive calamities are anything to go by - should not keep their capital foes at arm's length on Sunday, as was the case just before Christmas.
Barely anything can separate the two outfits as far as the top-flight table is concerned, and that ought to be reflected by the sound of the full-time whistle, by which point the two sides may very well have shared four goals in an entertaining stalemate.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
