Manchester United extended their winning streak to two games with a convincing victory over Leicester City this past weekend. United can continue their excellent stretch against a struggling West Ham side.
Read on for a complete preview of this Premier League showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham here.
[sc:Soccer ]Manchester United vs. West Ham Betting Preview
Where: Upton Park, London
When: Sunday, February 7, 11:15 AM ET
Line: Manchester United -125 at West Ham +290, tie +235; total 2.5 – view all EPL lines
What’s at Stake
Manchester United are now just 10 points behind league-leaders Chelsea in the title race. Taking the full three points should help the Red Devils keep pace, or catch up should Chelsea lose. West Ham are currently struggling in form, but have had an excellent run at home this season (7-3-2).
Betting on Manchester United
Manchester United moved up to third place in the league table with a convincing 3-1 win Saturday over bottom side Leicester City last time out. Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie scored a goal apiece before a Wes Morgan own goal completed the rout.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]It was a sweet win for manager Louis van Gaal and the rest of the Red Devils as they exacted revenge on Leicester City who produced a shock 5-3 victory against them earlier this season. United let a 2-0 lead slip against the Foxes the last time out but there wasn’t going to be a repeat of that collapse this time out as the Red Devils dominated the return encounter from start to finish.
It was a perfect bounce-back victory for the Red Devils who suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Southampton in their last match at Old Trafford. That sets them up quite nicely for their crunch clash with West Ham at Upton Park this coming Saturday.
Manchester United fancy their chances against Sam Allardyce’s men as they are unbeaten in their last 12 meetings with West Ham in the league dating back to May 2008. The Red Devils can continue their dominance of the Hammers due to the ever-improving form of Falcao.
After a slow start, the Colombian striker has scored two goals this past month including a fantastic strike against the Foxes where he eluded two defenders to bundle in a 32nd minute goal. With van Persie finding the back of the net as well, this may finally be the strike partnership that van Gaal has been looking for this season.
They have a battle in their hands against West Ham, however, as the Hammers have one of the stingiest defences at home in the Premier League this season. The Hammers have allowed just 10 goals at Upton Park this campaign, third-best in the entire league.
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Betting on West Ham
West Ham’s Premier League struggles continued on Saturday with an embarrassing 2-0 loss to Liverpool. The Hammers have now lost three of their last seven league assignments as they slid down to eighth place in the league standings with 36 points.
It won’t get any easier for the Hammers as standing in their way are the 20-time English champions Manchester United. They have struggled mightily against the Red Devils in their recent encounters, tasting defeat in 11 of their last 12 meetings.
If they are to record an upset against United, it’s paramount that they improve on their play on the offensive end. West Ham managed just seven shot attempts in their last game against Liverpool with only two of those going on target. They also conceded 66 percent of the possession during that match.
The Hammers have struggled to find the back of the net recently, scoring just seven goals in their last seven games. With leading scorer Diafra Sakho still a doubt for West Ham this coming weekend because of his African Cup of Nations brouhaha, the onus is on Andy Carroll to pick up the scoring cudgels for the London squad.
The 26-year-old has scored five goals for the Hammers this season. Carroll tests a United defense that is second-best in the Premier League in goals allowed away from home, conceding just 13 in their travels this campaign.
Writer’s Prediction
Manchester United cruise to a 2-0 win.
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