Fresh from winning the EFL Cup, Manchester United will aim to book their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup when they face West Ham United at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
As for the Hammers, they will be looking to build on last weekend’s 4-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, which has given the club fresh hope ahead of the run-in.
Switching our attention back to the #FACup! 👊#MUFC— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 28, 2023
Switching our attention back to the #FACup! 👊#MUFC
Given that third-placed Man United and sixteenth-placed West Ham are separated by 26 points in the Premier League table, the hosts are favoured to advance. But could the visitors cause an upset?
The Red Devils defeated Newcastle United 2-0 at Wembley on Sunday to clinch their first piece of silverware under Erik ten Hag, courtesy of first-half goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford.
Thanks to the EFL Cup triumph in the capital, Man United head into Wednesday’s clash on a 10-game unbeaten streak across all competitions.
When you look at the bigger picture, United have lost just one of their past 21 outings in all competitions – securing 17 wins and three draws in the process.
Having dispatched Everton and Reading with 3-1 wins during the early rounds of the FA Cup, Erik ten Hag’s men will be confident of progressing on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, West Ham claimed a 1-0 win over Brentford in their first FA Cup outing of the season before booking their place in the last 16 with a 2-0 victory over Derby County.
It is worth noting, however, that David Moyes’ side have endured a below-par season up to now – meaning they remain in danger of relegation.
That said, the Hammers thrashed Nottingham Forest 4-0 last time out, with Danny Ings bagging a brace in the London Stadium rout.
Although West Ham have managed to win just six of their 24 league outings this season – recording five draws and 13 losses along the way – they will be eager to continue their FA Cup journey.
Head-to-head: Man United beast West Ham 1-0 in the Premier League back in October, meaning the Red Devils have won six of the past seven meetings between the teams.
It is also worth pointing out that West Ham have only managed to win three of their previous 16 matches against United across all competitions.
Team news: Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek remain long-term injury absentees for Man United, while Anthony Martial is a doubt for Wednesday.
There are question marks of the fitness of West Ham trio Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal and Kurt Zouma, while Max Cornet remains sidelined.
With Man United continuing to go from strength to strength under Erik ten Hag, the hosts are expected to book their place in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Forebet predicts that Manchester United will register a low-scoring win at Old Trafford, keeping a clean sheet en route to victory.