Date :Wednesday 22nd July,2020
Time: 6:00pm
Stadium Old Trafford
Referee Paul Tierney (England)
Goal Scorer:
Team News:
Manchester United
Manchester United have the chance to move into the top four of the Premier League table for the first time since September when they welcome West Ham United to Old Trafford on Wednesday evening.
The Red Devils have Champions League qualification in their own hands heading into their final two games of the season, while West Ham - led by former Man United boss David Moyes - are all but mathematically safe from the threat of relegation.
Manchester United saw their FA Cup hopes ended in convincing fashion at the hands of Chelsea in their semi-final at Wembley on Sunday, but it wasn't all bad news for them that day.
Leicester City's defeat at Tottenham Hotspur ensures that Man United are now in control of their own destiny as far as the top-four race is concerned, and qualification for next season's Champions League is undoubtedly their priority at the business end of the campaign.
The Red Devils are now level on points and goal difference with the Foxes, meaning that victory here would leave them simply needing to avoid defeat on the final day to secure a return to Europe's top table.
The added twist is that Man United are away to Leicester on the final day, though, making for a mouth-watering and likely winner-takes-all clash regardless of what happens in this one.
Even a draw on Wednesday would lift them temporarily up to third, with Chelsea travelling to champions Liverpool later in the evening, and would still mean that simply avoiding defeat at the King Power Stadium would wrap up a top-four finish for only the third time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
That task looked a lot more likely prior to Sunday's 3-1 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea, though, when Man United's 19-match unbeaten run which stretched back to January came to a shuddering halt.
David de Gea's mistakes once again dominated the headlines following that match at Wembley, but Man United could have no complaints at the result even if their goalkeeper had been on top form.
It is vital that the Red Devils quickly rediscover their winning ways, and they are still unbeaten in 12 Premier League games, while at Old Trafford they have won five of their last six outings with an aggregate scoreline of 20-4.
The hosts will be without Eric Bailly after he was stretchered off in a neck brace and taken to hospital following a clash of heads with teammate Harry Maguire at Wembley.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has offered a positive update on the centre-back, who has now returned to Manchester, but concussion protocols mean that he is highly unlikely to be available for the last two games of the domestic campaign.
Luke Shaw remains a major doubt after twisting his ankle against Southampton, while Man United are also without Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe.
The likes of Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood all sat out from the start on Sunday, but the in-form trio are expected to return as part of a Man United attacking line in the midst of a prolific run.
Bruno Fernandes has been central to that, and since his debut for the club in February no Premier League player has been involved in more goals across all competitions than his 17 - scoring nine times and creating eight more.
Man Utd possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Williams; Matic, Pogba; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial
Man Utd Premier League form: DWWWWD
Man Utd form (all competitions): WWWWDL
West Ham
West Ham fans may have therefore been dreading this trip for their penultimate game of the season as a run of two wins in 14 league games looked set to take their battle for survival all the way down to the wire.
However, priceless victories over fellow strugglers Norwich City and Watford not only handed them back-to-back top-flight wins for the first time since August but much more importantly effectively sealed their place in the Premier League again next season.
Strictly speaking, their fate is still yet to be mathematically sealed, but it would take a hugely unlikely set of results - including a 14-goal swing - for them to be dragged back into the mire and so they can safely celebrate avoiding the drop now.
Of course, the Hammers would have had higher hopes than simply avoiding relegation at the start of the campaign, and thoughts must now begin to turn to how they can improve on a tumultuous 2019-20 season which has seen them lose 19 league games and concede 60 goals so far.
Fixing their away form may be near the top of that list, although a draw at Newcastle United and 4-0 drubbing of Norwich at Carrow Road in their last two such outings is a definite sign of improvement after seven straight away wins prior to that.
Claiming back-to-back wins on the road for the first time this season may be too big an ask for a trip to Old Trafford when Man United need the points so badly, though, particularly given that they have not won away to the Red Devils since 2007.
However, they did win the reverse fixture back in September and have now only lost one of their last four games against Wednesday's hosts.
West Ham have a couple of attacking players in good form too, with Michail Antonio having scored more Premier League goals than anyone else since the season restart in June and Jarrod Bowen having assisted four goals in his last five games.
Moyes could consider handing opportunities to some fringe players with survival now secured, although the magnitude of the victory over Watford last time out could also see him name an unchanged starting XI.
That would mean another start for 20-year-old Ben Johnson at right-back, with Ryan Fredericks sidelined along with Robert Snodgrass.
West Ham possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Johnson, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Noble, Fornals; Antonio
West Ham Premier League form: LWDLWW
Prediction: Man Utd 4-0 West Ham
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