Prediction: Manchester United vs West Ham

Verdict: Manchester United win

Best Odds: 8/15

Bookmaker: Unibet

Only days removed from their thiller in the capital, Manchester United will welcome West Ham to Old Trafford on Wednesday night when they turn their attention to EFL Cup duties.

Manchester United

Starting with the hosts, managing to mount another signature comeback on their travels over the weekend, Manchester United will find the mood in their camp at a real high. With Mark Noble’s last-gasp penalty miss handing the former Premier League champions a 2-1 victory away at Wednesday’s guests, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got the perfect response after their Champions League stutter last week. Throwing away the lead against Young Boys and hit with a stunning 2-1 defeat in Switzerland, the Reds are desperate to end their long wait for a piece of silverware. Still enjoying what has been a largely impressive start to the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, there is no doubt that their Norweigan boss will be hugely excited by Cristiano Ronaldo’s immediate impact at Old Trafford. Really hitting the ground running since making the move back to Manchester, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner once again got himself on the scoresheet over the weekend. In fact, the Portuguese superstar has already racked up four goals for United across all formats.

Team News

Recently losing his domestic place to Raphaël Varane, Victor Lindelöf could start at the heart of Manchester United’s defence on Wednesday night.

Likewise, along with Donny van de Beek looking like he could get a start in the middle of the park, Sunday’s hero Jesse Lingard should also be handed a spot in Solskjaer’s XI.

West Ham

As for the visitors, while West Ham might have put in another rugged display on Sunday afternoon, there is no doubt that the Hammers were left heartbroken in East London. Throwing away the lead and watching Mark Noble miss a last-gasp penalty, David Moyes’ side were hit with a 2-1 defeat on home soil and their remarkable unbeaten run was brought to an abrupt end. Having to settle for back-to-back draws against Crystal Palace and Southampton on either side of the international break, they have now failed to win any of their previous three matchups against Premier League opposition. However, stunning many across England last season, the former Manchester United boss did see his side lay down a European marker last week. Making their first Europa League group stage appearance, Wednesday’s guests landed an eye-catching 2-0 win away at Dinamo Zagreb. With Moyes believing that his side can mount a real top-four charge this season, West Ham will be desperate to right Sunday’s wrong here.

Team News

With a stacked schedule, David Moyes is expected to make a host of changes when his side travel to Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

Making the move to East London over the summer, Alex Kral and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola could make their debuts for West Ham in midweek.

Key Factors to Consider

• When the two sides faced off at the London Stadium on Sunday, Manchester United picked up an action-packed 2-1 win.
• The former champions have won three of their last four meetings against Wednesday’s guests.
• Michail Antonio has recorded five goals across all formats since opening the 2021/22 campaign.
• Likewise, finding the net once again on Sunday, Cristiano Ronaldo has already netted four goals for United.
• Each of the last three meetings between Wednesday’s guests at Old Trafford have finished with under 2.5 goals.

Conclusion

Managing to hang onto the 2-1 win in the capital on Sunday, Manchester United should be confident of doing a quickfire double over the Hammers in midweek. With their sights firmly set on finally capturing a piece of silverware this season, the Reds also managed to land an immediate response after that shock defeat out in Switzerland last week. With David Moyes expected to make a host of changes due to his side’s stacked schedule, the former Premier League champions should be smelling another chance. Winning three of their last four meetings against the East London outfit, we’re backing a similar home victory at Old Trafford.

Verdict: Manchester United win

Best Odds: 8/15

Bookmaker: Unibet