Man Utd vs West Ham: Red Devils Seek to End December Woes in Premier League Clash
MANCHESTER – Manchester United host West Ham United tonight seeking to break a concerning December slump and avenge last season’s Premier League double defeat to the Hammers.Kick-off is at Old Trafford,with both sides aiming to bolster their respective positions in the league table.
Historically, this fixture has seen fluctuating fortunes. West Ham secured a 2-0 victory in the corresponding match last season, ending a 16-game winless run away to Manchester United in the Premier League (D3 L13), and ultimately completed the league double over United. However, they haven’t achieved consecutive league wins at Old Trafford since March 1934. Manchester United’s recent home form in midweek Premier League games is strong, remaining unbeaten in their last 17 (W14 D3), winning the last eight in a row, with their last defeat coming against Liverpool in May 2021 (2-4).
united’s recent form in December is a important concern, having lost nine of their last 14 Premier League matches in the month (W4 D1), including the last three consecutively without scoring – a stark contrast to a 15-game unbeaten run prior to this sequence (W12 D3). West ham, meanwhile, have a respectable record in Thursday premier League games, losing only two of their 13 (W6 D5), though the majority of those wins have come in London.
Under current manager Nuno Espirito Santo, West ham are winless in four Premier League away games (D2 L2), mirroring Avram Grant’s start in 2010, who also failed to win any of his first five away premier League matches. Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim has lost nine of his 19 Premier League matches at Old Trafford (W8 D2), and a defeat tonight would see him reach 10 home top-flight losses faster than any previous Red Devils manager – surpassing A.H.Albut’s 23 games between 1892 and 1894.
Key players to watch include West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen, who scored in both Premier League meetings against Manchester United last season, and Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, who has played 11 Premier League games against West Ham without a goal, taking 27 shots.
