Key events
Prepare for two hours of frantic tab toggling. There’s a huge game in the Championship this lunchtime; for the latest news of that top-of-the-table clash, Tom Davies is your man. Let the back and forth commence.
David Moyes takes his turn to chat to TNT. “We chose to change a little in midweek which we’re entitled to do … hopefully today we can get back on course … we’ve been good at the London Stadium … we’re up against a really tough opponent today … we’ll have to play really well … we’ll need to defend really well at times … hopefully we can get a good result for the supporters today.”
Erik ten Hag – who reports that Varane misses out today through illness – speaks to TNT Sports. “Willy Kambwala is calm and made a good impression in training … it is a big moment for him … he is calm on the ball … now he has his opportunity … West Ham will not be as offensive as Liverpool but we have to be better on the ball … at Liverpool we had the two best chances of the game … it starts with better build-up … they can all score goals so it’s for us as a team to prove it … this is a massive week and we can change the story of our season … we have to take the responsibility for our fans who are always behind us … they deserve to see a good team with spirit and get some wins in.”
West Ham make two changes to the starting XI named for the 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend. Alphonse Areola and Konstantinos Mavropanos replace Łukasz Fabiański, who is on the bench, and Nayef Aguerd, who misses out altogether.
Manchester United make three changes to the team selected to start the 0-0 draw at Liverpool. Bruno Fernandes is back from suspension, with Diogo Dalot taking his place on the naughty step. Sofyan Amrabat drops to the bench while Raphael Varane is out altogether; Aaron Wan-Bissaka returns, and 19-year-old Willy Kambwala makes his senior debut in the heart of defence.
The teams
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Mavropanos, Emerson Palmieri, Soucek, Alvarez, Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Lucas Paqueta, Bowen.
Subs: Fabianski, Johnson, Cresswell, Fornals, Ings, Ogbonna, Benrahma, Kehrer, Mubama.
Manchester United: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Kambwala, Evans, Shaw, McTominay, Mainoo, Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Antony, Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Amrabat, Rashford, Eriksen, Reguilon, Pellistri, van de Beek, Mejbri, Bennett.
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).
Preamble
Both of these teams go into this game following a trip to Anfield. Manchester United will be the happier of the two, having frustrated Liverpool last weekend with a staunch defensive display in a dull goalless draw; West Ham however are smarting bad in the wake of the proper chasing they were given on Wednesday evening in a 5-1 League Cup defeat.
But it’s swings and roundabouts. West Ham won this fixture last season, and they’re in decent form: seven wins in their last ten matches in all competitions, though both of the defeats during that sequence saw them ship five goals. Manchester United by contrast have picked up just four points from the last 12 available, and got themselves knocked out of Europe altogether in the meantime.
So you can approach this one from various angles. This upper-mid-table clash kicks off at 12.30pm GMT. It’s on!
