West Ham United play host to Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, and Paul Merson has made his prediction for the game.
The West Ham vs Manchester United Premier League clash is a vitally important one for both sides, and Paul Merson thinks it’s going to be quite the contest.
The Hammers’ old nemesis David Coote has been named as the referee for the game, and that’s bad news for us in my opinion.
Julen Lopetegui is said to be weighing up some big changes ahead of the game at the London Stadium.
The Hammers head coach is apparently debating whether or not to drop Lucas Paqueta and Alphonse Areola, whilst Edson Alvarez could be brought back into the side.
Nobody would blame Lopetegui for making those specific changes.
I really want to see him bring Crysencio Summerville into the starting XI as well, with Mohammed Kudus out through suspension.
Some changes are definitely required for the Man United clash.
The players have been absolutely nowhere near good enough this season, and they owe Lopetegui and the fans a big performance.
We have had a tough start to the campaign, with some really, really difficult games, but a return of eight points from eight matches quite simply is not good enough.
Hopefully that will change on Sunday afternoon.
Nothing less than a win will do for the Hammers right now, but how does Merson see this one ending?
Paul Merson makes West Ham vs Manchester United prediction
The well-renowned football pundit always makes bold calls with his predictions, and rarely plays it safe.
This time was no different, when he made his prediction for our game.
Merson wrote his regular column for Sportskeeda, and predicted the outcome of the West Ham vs Man United clash.
He said, “This is a big game for West Ham. Irrespective of where they are or how they re performing, Manchester United are still a big club and when they come visiting, it will be a special occasion. I actually think these teams can cause each other a lot of problems.“
“I don’t mean to disrespect Manchester United, but this is a great game for West Ham to turn their season around. We all agree they haven’t clicked as well as they would’ve liked, but if that happens on Sunday, this could be massive test for Manchester United.Erik ten Hag will always be under pressure as manager at Manchester United.“
“If he goes out and loses this game, they are getting beaten by a team sitting 15th in the league fable and that’s nowhere near good enough for a club like United. If he wins, well it’s normal because you’re expected to win these games. It feels as if no matter what he does, it’s tough for him to get on the good books right away. I don’t think he’s going anywhere though. He’s in it for the long haul at Manchester United, that’s the plan they’ve put in place at Old Trafford. I’m expecting a draw here.“
Prediction: West Ham 2-2 Manchester United
That is quite the shout from Merson – a four-goal thriller would be an incredibly exciting game to watch.
However, with both managers under such intense pressure, I think it will be a cagey affair at the London Stadium.
I can see a 1-0 win for either side, or a low-scoring draw. I am going to go for a win for the Hammers though.
I think that after Manchester United travelled out to Turkey on Thursday night, the West Ham players might have more about them physically in the Premier League face-off.
Paul Merson thinks it will be a high scoring draw but I just can’t see it.
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