West Ham United vs Manchester United comes up on 23 December 2023, week 18 of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

Both teams are looking from the outside with hopes of breaking into the top five thanks to the new UEFA Champions League format which will debut in the 2024/25 season. It is especially problematic for West Ham because they started the season on a high, with many predicting they would stay within the top eight for the duration of the season.

The Hammers, who will host this fixture on matchday 18, are outside the top 10 with almost no hopes of breaking back in. Man United, on the other hand, have not played the best football this season, but the failings of West Ham and a few other clubs who had promising starts have helped them slowly ascend the table. They are now closer to the top five than five weeks ago.

Manchester United is unique this season because there is no in-between between them. They either play well enough to win or play with enough grit to scrap the wins, or play abysmally or fall victim to a much better side to lose games.

West Ham’s fate, on the other hand, can be down to luck because they have rarely put a foot wrong in this season. Theirs is a case of always being out-hustled, outplayed, and, most importantly, outscored because of their poor finishing this season.

Of all the teams projected to be top ten finishers (outside of their opponents Manchester United and Chelsea, who are in a significant rebuilding phase), they have been the biggest underperformers in front of goal.

Both fans are still determining what to expect when both sides face to face at the London Stadium on 23 December 2023. Both managers, however, will understand the other team’s vulnerabilities clearly. Their tactics will be interesting to look out for, and this is why fans will be seated in the stadium on that day.

Keep reading for match ticket information, team news, as our predictions on the outcome of the upcoming West Ham United vs Manchester United clash.

Match tickets

West Ham United tickets for the West Ham United vs Manchester United match have only been released on the West Ham website. They are already sold out thanks to the advantage that the club’s registered fans have over neutrals and tourists who want to enjoy a Premier League game.

More West Ham United vs Manchester United tickets will be on sale from the home club to cater to more sections of the club’s fanbase and interested neutrals. Manchester United tickets for the game are on the way.

For neutrals, there is the option of visiting ticket reselling platforms like Seatsnet.com to procure tickets for the game.

The game will be played at the London Stadium on 23 December 2023 at 1:30 PM. Streaming is the only way for fans at home in the UK to watch the match because it will not air on Sky Sports.

A subscription to these apps and channels is needed to access the game.

Team news

West Ham United vs Manchester United will see several players rested. However, David Moyes will make sure to work on the fitness of several key players like James Ward-Prowse, Tomáš Souček, Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio, Lucas Paquetá, Edson Alvarez and Kurt Zouma. 

Vladimir Coufal has been going in and out of the physio room this season, so his fitness levels for the Manchester United clash will also worry Moyes, who would want his best players available. The big news, however, is that there are no injuries or suspensions that the Scotsman has to battle as he prepares to welcome the Red Devils to his stomping grounds.

Erik ten Hag’s injury list has been reduced, with only Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, and Amad Diallo out of commission for the West Ham United game. However, several players will be rested more, which means that ten Hag will depend on a squad made up partly of young up-and-comers from the academy like Kobbie Mainoo. December is a tough month for Premier League teams, so this rest is needed.

Lineups

Despite West Ham United vs Manchester United coming amid a tough run of fixtures, David Moyes will be putting out his strongest XI. This means Alvarez and Ward-Prowse at the base of the midfield – where Ward-Prowse is the deep-lying playmaker – provide cover for Paquetá, Souček, and Bowen further upfield as they support Michail Antonio in the center-forward role. 

Alphonse Areola will hold on to the number 1 position in the game despite the fitness and availability of Lukasz Fabianski, who has had many matches against Manchester United.

West Ham United: Areola; Emerson, Aguerd, Zouma, Coufal; Alvarez, Ward-Prowse; Paquetá, Souček, Bowen; Antonio.

Manchester United may be ahead of West Ham on the log, but a loss could close the gap quickly. This puts them in danger of going below their hosts as it was at the beginning of the season. For this reason, ten Hag will also put his best foot forward even with the fixtures coming thick and fast in December. 

André Onana is under no pressure from Altay Bayındır in United’s goal, so he will keep his position. In front of him will most likely be a pairing of Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire, who will both be flanked by Luke Shaw on the left and Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right. Rasmus Højlund will still hold on to his lone-striker role, hoping that Antony and Rashford can provide the service he needs.

Manchester United: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Maguire, Shaw; Casemiro, McTominay; Rashford, Fernandes, Antony; Højlund.

Prediction

Historically, West Ham United vs Manchester United has primarily resulted in a win for the Red Devils. The last time the Hammers’ fans enjoyed a consistent run of wins or draws in this tie came back in 2015 when they earned three straight draws against Man United (two Premier League and one FA Cup). 

Before that, it was three consecutive wins in 2006/07. West Ham won this tie at the London Stadium last season, back in May 2023. The memories are still fresh in the minds of the fans, so Moyes will be hoping to give the Hammers fans their first back-to-back win against Man United since 2006/07. For this reason, the midfield will be critical in this game as Moyes will seek to cut transition time from defense to attack intensely. 

As a result, there will be frantic action, and the team that handles the transitions best will stand a higher chance. Both teams struggle to score goals, so it will eventually go down to the team that takes their chances. A low-scoring game can be expected, with West Ham coming out on top.

West Ham United 1 – 2 Manchester United