David Flower
Dailysports's expert
Manchester United
West Ham
The Matchweek 36 fixture of the English Premier League will take place on Sunday at Old Trafford, where the local side Manchester United hosts West Ham. I’m offering a bet on goals for this clash with an appealing odds boost.
Match preview
After their away game against Brentford, which ended in a dramatic 4-3 defeat, Manchester United continue to flounder in the league. It seemed that after a disastrous start, conceding three unanswered goals, the Red Devils would collapse mentally. However, in the dying minutes, the players showed character and managed to cut the deficit to just one, scoring twice in the final 10 minutes.
Nonetheless, this comeback wasn’t enough to save Ruben Amorim’s squad from a sixth straight Premier League match without a win (2 draws and 4 defeats). At the moment, the Red Devils are sitting 15th in the table, safe from relegation but with no realistic chance of climbing higher than 13th. Head coach Ruben Amorim opted for an experimental lineup in the previous match against Brentford, giving several young players the chance to prove themselves with nothing left to play for in the league. The move paid off — United defeated Spanish side Athletic (4-1) in the Europa League semi-final for the second match in a row.
Graham Potter’s side remain in a prolonged slump in the Premier League — West Ham have now gone eight matches without a win. During this stretch, the Hammers have drawn four times and suffered four defeats. Notably, their last three home league games ended in draws, while their away form has been dire — three consecutive defeats on the road.
In the league table, the Hammers sit two spots below Manchester United, trailing by two points. The club’s inconsistency is clear over the long run — just two wins in their last 14 Premier League matches, along with five draws and seven losses. The team is clearly struggling to finish their attacks and maintain defensive cohesion, making it tough to escape their rut.
Probable lineups
- Manchester United: Altay Bayındır – Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Amass, Tyler Fredrickson, Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu – Manuel Ugarte, Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo – Alejandro Garnacho, Chido Obi-Martin
- West Ham: Alphonse Areola – Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo, Emerson Palmieri, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Aaron Cresswell – Tomas Soucek, Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus – Niclas Füllkrug, Jarrod Bowen
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the first half of the season, West Ham beat United 2-1
- The "Both teams to score" bet landed in two of the last five meetings
- The "Over 2.5 goals" bet paid out in three of the last five matches
Prediction
Both sides are winding down the season and have little left to play for. That said, West Ham are a team that both score and leave plenty of gaps at the back. Our pick for this match: Over 2.5 goals at odds of 1.81.
