Manchester United vs West Ham United: Preview, Prediction, Lineups | Premier League 2025/26

On: December 2, 2025 11:21 PM

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Manchester United vs West Ham United — Match Preview

The Premier League action continues this Thursday night under the lights at Old Trafford as Manchester United host a struggling West Ham United.

For Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils, this is a chance to build momentum. Currently sitting 7th, United are fresh off a gritty 2-1 away win against Crystal Palace, where goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount turned the tide. Amorim, now over a year into his tenure, is looking to find the consistency needed to break back into the top four.

They face a West Ham side currently languishing in 17th place. Under manager Nuno Espírito Santo, who took charge earlier this season, the Hammers are fighting to distance themselves from the relegation zone. Their recent mini-revival was halted by a 2-0 loss to Liverpool, and they arrive in Manchester without their suspended talisman Lucas Paquetá. With United looking to turn Old Trafford into a fortress after a recent slip-up against Everton, this promises to be a tense tactical battle.

Manchester United vs West Ham United — Quick Match Info

Fixture: Manchester United vs West Ham United
Competition: Premier League (Matchweek 14)
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester (Capacity: 75,635)
Date: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Kickoff Time: 20:00 GMT / 01:30 IST (Friday)
Referee: Andrew Kitchen
VAR: TBC
TV Channel (UK): Amazon Prime Video
TV Channel (India): Star Sports Select 1, Disney+ Hotstar
Live Stream: Amazon Prime (UK), JioStar (India)

Manchester United vs West Ham United — Match Context (2025/26 Season)

Manchester United:

Position: 7th in Premier League (21 Points).
Form: Mixed (W-L-D-D-W). The 2-1 win at Palace was a morale booster, but the 0-1 home loss to Everton prior to that raised questions about their ability to break down low blocks.
Current Challenge: Defensive consistency. Injuries to key defenders like Maguire have forced constant reshuffles.
Manager: Ruben Amorim.

West Ham United:

Position: 17th in Premier League (11 Points).
Form: Battling (L-D-W-W-L). They have won 2 of their last 4 but remain precariously close to the drop zone.
Current Challenge: Creating chances without Paquetá. The Brazilian’s red card against Liverpool leaves a massive creative void.
Manager: Nuno Espírito Santo.

Manchester United vs West Ham United — What’s at Stake

For Manchester United:

Top 4 Pursuit: A win would move them to 24 points, keeping them within touching distance of the Champions League spots. It’s also crucial to improve their home form.

For West Ham United:

Survival Breathing Space: Sitting just above the bottom three, any points at Old Trafford would be a massive bonus in their fight for survival.

Manchester United vs West Ham United — Team Form

Manchester United (Last 5 Matches):

W vs Crystal Palace (2-1)
L vs Everton (0-1)
D vs Tottenham (2-2)
D vs Nottingham Forest (2-2)
W vs Brighton (4-2)

West Ham United (Last 5 Matches):

L vs Liverpool (0-2)
D vs Bournemouth (2-2)
W vs Burnley (3-2)
W vs Newcastle (3-1)
L vs Leeds (1-2)

Manchester United vs West Ham United — Team News

Manchester United:

Harry Maguire: Out (Hamstring Injury).
Benjamin Šeško: Out (Knee Injury – A long-term miss for the attack).
Matheus Cunha: Questionable (Head Injury – Missed the Palace game but back in training. Could make the bench).
Key Returns: Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee are in form after scoring at the weekend and are expected to keep their places.
Goalkeeper: Senne Lammens has established himself as the No. 1 under Amorim and will start.

West Ham United:

Lucas Paquetá: Suspended (Red Card vs Liverpool).
Lukasz Fabianski: Out (Back Injury – Alphonse Areola will start).
Oliver Scarles: Out (Shoulder Injury).
Crysencio Summerville: Questionable (Knock – Late fitness test).
Callum Wilson: The veteran striker is expected to lead the line, looking to add to his 4 league goals this season.

Manchester United vs West Ham United — Head to Head

27 Jul 2025: Man Utd 2–1 West Ham (Pre-season)
11 May 2025: Man Utd 0–2 West Ham (Premier League)
27 Oct 2024: West Ham 2–1 Man Utd (Premier League)
04 Feb 2024: Man Utd 3–0 West Ham (Premier League)
23 Dec 2023: West Ham 2–0 Man Utd (Premier League)

Manchester United vs West Ham United — Predicted Lineups

Manchester United (3-4-2-1):

Amorim is likely to stick with the winning formula from Selhurst Park.

GK: Senne Lammens
CB: Leny Yoro
CB: Matthijs de Ligt
CB: Luke Shaw
RWB: Diogo Dalot
CM: Casemiro
CM: Kobbie Mainoo
LWB: Noussair Mazraoui
CAM: Bruno Fernandes (C)
CAM: Mason Mount
ST: Joshua Zirkzee

West Ham United (4-2-3-1):

Nuno will likely set up a compact block to frustrate United.

GK: Alphonse Areola
RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka
CB: Jean-Clair Todibo
CB: Konstantinos Mavropanos
LB: Emerson Palmieri
CDM: Edson Álvarez
CDM: James Ward-Prowse
RW: Jarrod Bowen (C)
CAM: Mohammed Kudus (Moving central to replace Paqueta)
LW: Luis Guilherme (if Summerville is unfit)
ST: Callum Wilson

Manchester United vs West Ham United — Impact Bench Options

Manchester United:

Amad Diallo: Offers electric pace and creativity against tired legs.
Bryan Mbeumo: The summer signing has been prolific (5 goals) and is a massive threat if United need a goal.

West Ham United:

Michail Antonio: The ultimate physical disruptor. If West Ham need to go long, he is the man.
Tomáš Souček: A threat from set-pieces late in the game.

Manchester United vs West Ham United — Tactical Outlook

Manchester United:

Playing Style: Amorim’s 3-4-3. United will dominate possession and look to create overloads in the half-spaces using Mount and Fernandes. The wing-backs (Dalot and Mazraoui) will push extremely high.
Weakness: Defensive Transitions. Without Maguire’s aerial dominance, they can be vulnerable to crosses and set-pieces, which is West Ham’s strength.

West Ham United:

Playing Style: Nuno’s Compact Block. Expect West Ham to sit deep and absorb pressure. Without Paquetá to link play, they will rely heavily on Jarrod Bowen carrying the ball 40-50 yards on the counter.
Strength: Set Pieces. With Ward-Prowse’s delivery and the height of Mavropanos/Souček, corners are their best route to goal.

Manchester United vs West Ham United — Key Battles

Matchup	Battle Type	Edge
Bruno Fernandes vs. Edson Álvarez	Creator vs. Destroyer: Fernandes drifts into pockets of space. Álvarez must stay disciplined and not get dragged out of position.	Man Utd
Luke Shaw vs. Jarrod Bowen	Counter-Attack Threat: Shaw plays as a wide CB. If he gets caught upfield, Bowen has the pace to punish United in the channel.	West Ham
Joshua Zirkzee vs. Jean-Clair Todibo	Physical Duel: Zirkzee’s link-up play is key. Todibo is fast and strong. A fascinating battle of modern athletic players.	Tie

Manchester United vs West Ham United — Spotlight Players

Joshua Zirkzee (Manchester United):

The Dutch forward got a crucial goal against Palace. He is not just a scorer but a facilitator. If he can drag West Ham’s center-backs out of position, space will open up for Mount and Fernandes.

Jarrod Bowen (West Ham):

In the absence of Paquetá, Bowen is the main man. His direct running and ability to finish with both feet make him the primary danger. He will look to target the space behind United’s attacking wing-backs.

Manchester United vs West Ham United — Prediction

Score Prediction: Manchester United 2–0 West Ham United

Betting Insights:

Outcome: Manchester United to Win.
Clean Sheet: Manchester United (West Ham struggle to create without Paquetá).
Anytime Goalscorer: Bruno Fernandes (Due a goal and on penalties).

Analysis: Manchester United have found a bit of rhythm under Amorim, and playing at home against a relegation-threatened side missing their best player (Paquetá) is a fixture they simply must win. West Ham will be organized under Nuno but likely lack the offensive punch to trouble United’s goal consistently.

Manchester United vs West Ham United — Final Word

Manchester United cannot afford another home slip-up if they are serious about the top four. West Ham are fighting for their lives, but the absence of Paquetá is a hammer blow to their chances. Expect Amorim’s men to control the tempo and secure a professional victory to climb the table.