The background
A trip to Old Trafford and Manchester United awaits West Ham United on Saturday as Slaven Bilic’s men look to end a four-game winless run.
Rickie Lambert’s deflected goal denied the Hammers a win against West Bromwich Albion last weekend, and since West Ham last tasted victory – against Chelsea in October – they have picked up points against Everton and the Baggies, and lost to Watford and Tottenham Hotspur.
That has left them eighth in the table, with 22 points from their opening 14 games, a tally that puts them six points behind third placed United.
The Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw by fellow high-flyers Leicester City last weekend, in a game in which Bastian Schweinsteiger cancelled out Jamie Vardy’s opener.
That extended the Old Trafford club’s unbeaten run to ten games in all competitions, with Arsenal the last side to get one over on them at the start of October.
In the UEFA Champions League, Louis van Gaal’s side face a make-or-break tie against Wolfsburg next week, with United needing a victory to guarantee their progress.
The history
West Ham and Manchester United have met 130 times previously, with the Manchester club holding the head-to-head advantage with 61 wins to the Hammers’ 42.
In the league, West Ham last defeated the Red Devils back in December 2007, when goals from Anton Ferdinand and Matt Upson overturned Cristiano Ronaldo’s opening strike.
Since then, West Ham have defeated United in the League Cup – 4-0 in the 2010/11 campaign, but Man Utd have emerged victorious on 12 occasions in that period.
Last season the Hammers lost 2-1 at Old Trafford, despite laying siege to the hosts’ goal in the second period, before being denied victory at home by Daley Blind’s last-gasp leveller.
The match
Team news
West Ham United
Slaven Bilic will have to do without striker Diafra Sakho, who has been ruled out for three months with the thigh injury he suffered in last weekend’s draw with West Brom.
He joins Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia on the sidelines, although James Collins and Mark Noble both return from suspension and are available for selection.
Manchester United
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will miss the visit of the Hammers after suffering an ankle injury. He will be joined on the absentee’s list by Marcos Rojo, who dislocated his shoulder in training.
Jesse Lingaard returns to the reckoning following a hamstring complaint, although Ander Herrera and Phil Jones remain unavailable.
Match info
- Saturday’s referee is Mark Clattenburg. He will be assisted by Simon Beck and Jake Collin. Stuart Attwell is the fourth official.
- The Hammers have scored in all but one of their Premier League games this season – a record bettered only by Leicester City.
- Mauro Zarate has scored in three of his four Premier League starts this term.
- Manchester United and Tottenham are the only Premier League teams yet to lose at home this season.
- Van Gaal’s side have kept clean sheets in five successive home games in league and cup.
- The Irons have scored ten goals in 19 Premier League games at Manchester United, and never more than one in a game.
Ticketing, travel, coverage and other info
- Tickets for this fixture have SOLD OUT.
- Supporters heading to the game should arrive as early as possible and are encouraged not to bring bags, as they will be subject to searches as part of Man Utd’s security measures. The Red Devils’ guide for visiting supporters can be found here.
- A dry, but cloudy day is expected on Saturday, with temperature at kick-off of 11C (52F).
- Click here for up-to-the-minute updates on the roads, and here for train travel.
- If you won’t be at Old Trafford, make sure you stay tuned to our digital channels for all the latest from the game, including audio commentary, in-running stats, the best photos and more in our Live Match Centre. You can join the conversation on social using the hashtag #MNUWHU.