Your guide to West Ham v United

David Moyes’s men are our Carabao Cup third-round opponents at Old Trafford on 22 September, but a trip down to the capital is next on the cards.

And Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men will be keen to get back to winning ways, after the disappointment of a last-gasp defeat to Young Boys in Europe in midweek.

As we begin our countdown to the game, here’s everything you need to know about how to follow the action, the key man West Ham will be missing and more…

HOW TO FOLLOW

The game kicks off at 14:00 BST and is being broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. As usual, you can follow all the matchday build-up and post-match analysis, plus live radio commentary of the game itself, via MUTV. The programme begins at 12:55 BST.

TEAM NEWS

Solskjaer will give a more detailed update on his squad during Friday’s pre-match press conference, although Marcus Rashford, Amad and Alex Telles are expected to still be missing. Dean Henderson and Phil Jones are edging closer to a return after featuring for the Under-23s at Arsenal last week, while Scott McTominay was recently pictured training as he recovers from groin surgery. Edinson Cavani hasn’t featured in the last two matches due to an issue picked up at Carrington. 

West Ham will be without the recently crowned Premier League Player of the Month for August, Michail Antonio. The Jamaica international was sent off after receiving two bookings during Saturday’s goalless draw with Southampton and will now serve a one-match suspension. Bar the injured Winston Reid, who hasn’t appeared for the Hammers since March 2018, Moyes has no further availability concerns, although the Londoners do have to travel to Croatia on Thursday for a Europa League game with Dinamo Zagreb.

FORM GUIDE

United currently top the Premier League on goal difference from Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton, having won three and drawn one of our opening four games. A 1-1 draw at Southampton is our only blip so far and we are the joint-leading goalscorers in the division, alongside local rivals Manchester City.

West Ham led the nascent league table after the second matchday, following impressive victories over Newcastle (4-2) and Leicester (4-1). Draws with Crystal Palace and the Saints have followed, but the Hammers are still unbeaten as they bid to replicate last season’s eye-catching sixth-placed finish. After a difficult bedding-in period, the Hammers have turned the London Stadium into something of a fortress, with only Manchester City and Chelsea losing fewer games at home (four, to West Ham’s five) since the beginning of last season.

RECENT MEETINGS

One of those defeats came against the Reds, in December 2020. Prolific midfielder Tomas Soucek bundled in to give the home side a first-half lead in front of 2,000 Hammers supporters, but United rallied after the break and ran out 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford.

That’s one of only two victories we’ve managed at the London Stadium, with the other coming in January 2017. Juan Mata and Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck on that occasion, after Sofiane Feghouli’s early red card. West Ham have also beaten us twice in Stratford since the ground opened in 2016, with the other encounter finishing goalless.

KEY MEN

In Antonio’s absence, new signing Nikola Vlasic could be handed a first start. The former Everton man featured for the final half-hour against Southampton at the weekend and scored for Croatia during the recent international break. Soucek is always a goal threat from midfield and Said Benrahma is also one to watch.

The Algerian lit up the Championship while with Brentford but took a little time to adjust to the top flight after moving last October. The former Nice forward has already bettered his goal tally from 2020/21 and only Antonio, Paul Pogba and Mohamed Salah have recorded more goal contributions so far this campaign.

STAT PACK

United are unbeaten in 28 Premier League away games, the longest-ever run without defeat on the road in English league history.

We have conceded just 19 goals in this run, keeping 13 clean sheets in the process.

You'd have to go back to November 2020 for our last Premier League defeat on a Sunday - we've won 11 and drawn 5 of the top-flight games we've played on Sunday since then.

RIVALS WATCH

FRIDAY 17 SEPTEMBER

Newcastle v Leeds (20:00 BST)

SATURDAY 18 SEPTEMBER

Wolves v Brentford (12:30 BST)
Burnley v Arsenal
Liverpool v Crystal Palace
Manchester City v Southampton
Norwich v Watford
Aston Villa v Everton (17:30 BST)

SUNDAY 19 SEPTEMBER

Brighton v Leicester (14:00 BST)
West Ham v UNITED (14:00 BST)
Tottenham v Chelsea (16:30 BST)

All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless stated.