BBC pundit Chris Sutton predicts Manchester United to edge the close encounter against West Ham United on Sunday
Chris Sutton expects Manchester United to edge past West Ham United in Sunday’s Premier League encounter at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are currently seventh in the Premier League table, one point behind the Hammers who are sixth.
United defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers in a dramatic 3-4 away win during the midweek and they need to build on that. They are fighting for a top-four finish in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur currently eight points ahead in fourth.
The Red Devils suffered a miserable first half of the season, losing nine games in the Premier League. They faced an early elimination in the Champions League and the Carabao Cup this season. Inadvertently, United have fewer fixtures to deal with and they can focus on the FA Cup and the Premier League.
Sharing his matchday prediction with BBC, Sutton predicted a close encounter between the two sides with United winning 1-0. He said:
“Well, Manchester United won the World Cup again on Thursday night, judging from the reaction to their last-gasp 4-3 victory at Molineux. Seriously, though, it was a good win and fair play to them for the way they got it – they certainly needed it. West Ham beat them at the London Stadium before Christmas but I am expecting a different outcome at Old Trafford. I am not expecting it to be a very open game because Hammers boss David Moyes won’t set up that way, but Manchester United will find a way through.”
During the first half of the season, West Ham beat the Red Devils 2-0 at the London Stadium in December. Jarrod Bowen scored the first goal in the 72nd minute followed by Mohammed Kudus’s goal in the 78th minute.
The Red Devils dominated 66% of the possession but failed to capitalize while the Hammers showed clinical finishes in counter-attack. Nevertheless, West Ham would face a different United side as many injured players have returned in January.
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United’s win would take them above West Ham in the Premier League table as they continue to chase fourth place. The Red Devils’ manager Erik ten Hag would want to finish the season as strongly as possible. The poor season has piled a lot of pressure on him while things are changing under the new command of Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
