Manchester United sit fifth in the table with two games remaining. They are tied with fourth placed Leicester City on 62 points. With Champions League ambitions for next season, they need a win against West Ham at any cost. And its could get messy considering West Ham’s form.
With 12 goals scored in their previous five matches, it is clear West Ham United have become a potent attacking force in recent weeks.
But a deeper delve into the numbers shows the Hammers have been carrying a greater attacking threat for a lot longer.
Since David Moyes took charge in late December, West Ham have scored 26 goals in 17 Premier League matches – an average of 1.53 goals per game.
Prior to that, the Irons had netted just 21 goals in their opening 19 top-flight matches at an average of 1.11 goals per game.
Indeed, West Ham’s 26-goal haul means they are the Premier League’s sixth-highest scorers since New Year’s Day when Moyes announced his return with a 4-0 win over AFC Bournemouth at London Stadium. Only champions Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea have scored more Premier League goals in 2020.
The Hammers have been particularly prolific over the last five rounds of matches, with the two Manchester clubs, City with 16 and United with 15, scoring more than the 12 goals Moyes’ men have netted in that time.
That goalscoring form has been put to good use, too, with West Ham collecting ten points to pull clear of the bottom three.
Over the same five-game span, the Hammers ranked third in the Premier League form table, again behind only the two Manchester clubs.
Premier League 2019/20 recent form:
Man Utd: WWWDW
West Ham: WDLWW
Here are five key Players for West Ham who can make impact:
1) Michael Antonio
Individually, nobody has scored more goals since the restart than West Ham’s Michail Antonio, who has scored seven goals in seven appearances, with all of them coming in the last five matches. After scoring in the 3-1 home win over Southampton just before the COVID-19 lockdown, the No30 has continued to net important goals, with six of the seven coming in victories and the other in the 2-2 draw at Newcastle United. Antonio also provided the assist for Andriy Yarmolenko’s last-minute winner against Chelsea.
2. Tomas Soucek
Since arriving on loan in January, Sou?ek has built a reputation as an energetic midfielder with both defensive and attacking qualities. He is also known for his strong physical presence thanks to his 1.92m (6ft 4in) frame. He has scored in three of the last five fixtures, clearly establishing himself as a man in form and will prove to be a test for United.
3. Jarrod Bowen
Four assists in the last two matches is a phenomenal return, and he is proving to be a key player for west ham in this vital period – someone who is capable of influencing the result, scoring and creating goals, and also working extremely hard for the team.
4. Declan Rice
With more interceptions,ball recoveries and tackle success rate than Fabinho and a blistering screamer from 37 yards out against Watford, Declan Rice will be one to watch and stop for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.
5. Felipe Anderson
A quick, well-rounded, and technically gifted midfielder, with a slender and diminutive but long-limbed physique, Felipe Anderson is considered a major threat for any team facing West Ham United with him in it. Although he has not been featuring in the West Ham 11 post-Project Restart as much as he would have liked to he still possesses the same amount of threat coming off the bench. Anderson scored in a 2-1 win to United when these two sides last met at Old Trafford.
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