Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will face a rather unfamiliar challenge tonight when they face West Ham.
Manchester United will be looking to get back to winning ways after falling to a 3-1 defeat against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final last week. The loss ended a 19-match unbeaten streak across all competitions for the Reds, a run stretching all the way back to January 22 when they lost 2-0 at home to Burnley.
West Ham may be viewed as a preferable opponent to face in order to get back on the right track. They’ve mathematically secured their safety in the Premier League and have very little to play for in contrast to United’s hopes of Champions League qualification.
Solskjaer and his players cannot afford anything less than three points if they are to continue their push towards qualification for Europe’s flagship competition before facing Leicester City on the final day of the season.
However, David Moyes’ side could cause a number of issues for United on Wednesday night and the Scottish manager may be keen to scupper the hopes of his former side.
Despite struggling in the Premier League this season, the Hammers have already beaten United once - back in September with a 2-0 win. Doing the league double over Chelsea also hints at a key area that United will have to prepare for on Wednesday evening.
Michail Antonio and Tomas Soucek have been important parts of Moyes’ squad this season in different areas of the pitch.
Antonio, for instance, has led the line well in a predominantly defensive set-up despite a lack of experience at centre forward. His work rate and aerial ability makes him a good option for Moyes and could put United’s backline under periods of pressure.
As shown on Sunday, Harry Maguire’s tendency to play out from the back can lead to conceding possession in key areas and Antonio’s pressing from the front could force that type of mistake.
In a different area, Soucek offers security in midfield alongside highly-rated Declan Rice who has been linked with a move to Old Trafford numerous times.
Soucek’s loan spell from Slavia Prague stands as a roaring success as a mobile midfield option that will look to curb the threat of Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese midfielder’s strength in picking up pockets of space between the lines is likely to be something that Moyes will want to prevent and Soucek may be important in doing that.
Nevertheless, both Antonio and Soucek will offer threats from set-pieces with United needing to buck a trend of conceding goals from corners and free-kicks.
Solskjaer’s side are joint-eightth in the league for goals conceded from set-pieces with 11 while West Ham are tied for second in terms of goals scored with a total of 14.
Such numbers show where United will need to focus on preparing for a match that could leave them needing just to avoid defeat against Leicester on the weekend.
Defensive security has been a real positive for United this season yet ensuring they remain fully focussed at set-pieces is likely to be an area of concentration against a West Ham side that boasts strength in the air.
