Manchester United will face West Ham United at Old Trafford on match day 36 of this disappointing campaign.
At the time of writing, Manchester United are 14th on the log with 39 points, while West Ham United are placed 17th with 36 points after 34 matches played. Despite their low positions on the log, the two teams are safe from relegation following the demotion of Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton.
It has been a rollercoaster campaign for the Red Devils, who suffered a slow start under former coach Erik Ten Hag before he was sacked at the start of November. Manchester United started the campaign with high hopes, especially after their FA Cup triumph over Manchester City at the end of last season. There were speculations that the new INEOS board, which took the reins of the club last season, would sack Ten Hag. But instead, they kept the faith and handed him a contract extension.
The former Premier League champions started the campaign on a high, picking up a hard-fought 1-0 win over Fulham. That win was not convincing enough, as the Cottagers exposed Manchester United a few times. But the Red Devils only managed to escape unscathed because of Fulham’s profligacy in front of goal.
Manchester United’s frailties were eventually exposed in their second game against a talented and well-tutored Brighton side. Then, in their third game of the season, they fell characteristically to Liverpool. It was not even a vintage Liverpool performance, but Manchester United still failed to eke out a decent result.
The Red Devils huffed and puffed, but they ended up with a goalless draw against Crystal Palace. Then, in the game that followed, they were torn apart by a rampant Tottenham Hotspur side, as they lost 3-0. Along the line, Manchester United went on to snatch a draw against Aston Villa and claimed a big 2-1 win over Brentford at Old Trafford.
Nonetheless, in the reverse fixture of the game against West Ham United, Manchester United lost 2-1 at the London Stadium. Jarrod Bowen’s late penalty settled the game after Casemiro had cancelled out Crysencio Summerville’s opener. That was the last straw that broke the camel’s back, as Ten Hag got the sack after that result.
As a result, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who was brought in as Ten Hag’s assistant at first, then led the team to a draw against Chelsea and a 3-1 win over Leicester City. Not long after, Ruben Amorim was named the new man in the dugout, and he took charge of his first game against Ipswich some weeks ago. And although it was a disappointing performance, Manchester United escaped with a draw. Since then, it has been ups and downs for Manchester United in the Premier League.
West Ham United have also been disappointing all season and did change managers like Manchester United when things were not going quite well for them. Former Chelsea boss Graham Potter was appointed as the new West Ham United manager on January 9, 2025, replacing Julen Lopetegui. The former Madrid boss was sacked after a disappointing start to the season, with West Ham sitting 14th in the Premier League.
Looking at the standings now, West Ham have barely improved as compared to when Potter took charge. However, there is no relegation for them, and he can be excused for not starting the season with them.
At the moment, the Hammers are winless in their past seven games, playing three draws and losing the other four. The last time they won a game was back in February when they defeated relegated Leicester City 2-0 at the London Stadium. It has been a very difficult campaign for them, and they cannot just wait for the season to be over.
Manchester United have made great strides in Europe, as they have reached the semis where they are billed to face Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League. Like the Hammers, United have not won a Premier League game since beating Leicester City in mid-March. It is a meeting of two clubs in a bad run of form, and it is not surprising that they are both in the bottom half of the log.
Things have not changed much since the pair first met last year, so this encounter is there for the taking. Meanwhile, Amorim’s boys will not just be fighting for the three points. They will also be fighting for their place in the team next season.
In terms of the head-to-head, from the past 62 games played between Manchester United and West Ham United, Manchester United have won 37, West Ham have won 12, and the remaining 13 games have been stalemates.
Match tickets
This match at Old Trafford in Manchester starts on Sunday, 11th May 2025, at 14:15 GMT.
The 75,635-capacity stadium is the place for this clash between the Red Devils and the Hammers.
Getting Manchester United v West Ham tickets could take a lot of work given the standard of this game. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expectedly sold out on each club’s channels.
Team news
Line-ups
Amorim has several of his players out injured. Joshua Zirkzee and Lisandro Martinez are out for the rest of the season, and Ayden Heaven remains sidelined. Amad Diallo and Matthijs de Ligt are also long-term absentees. Since the game comes up after the Europa League semifinal clash, Amorim might make some changes to his selection for this one.
Manchester United XI: Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Mazraoui, Casemiro, Mainoo, Dorgu; Garnacho, Fernandes; Hojlund.
The Hammers have Edson Alvarez injured, as well as Crysencio Summerville. Forward Michail Antonio remains inactive and might not feature this season again. Apart from those, Potter has a capable squad to call upon for this trip to Old Trafford.
West Ham United XI: Areola (GK); Todibo, Mavropanos, Kilman; Wan-Bissaka, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Paqueta, Emerson; Bowen, Kudus.
Prediction
Manchester United have already lost 8 times at Old Trafford in the Premier League this season. It has been a poor campaign by all standards, and one most United fans will love to forget quickly. With that being said, one cannot even expect much from the Red Devils ahead of this game. Meanwhile, it is important to get Manchester United tickets for this game.
As for West Ham United, their sights are probably fixed on next season as well. So, the result here might not matter in the grand scheme of things.
In the past 10 meetings between them, there has been no draw, with United winning six times and West Ham winning four times.
Manchester United 2-1 West Ham United