Manchester United can take big step toward new prize Wednesday night

Three days after winning the EFL Cup, Erik ten Hag with Manchester United can take a big step in the hunt for another prize. The Red Devils will play West Ham United at home in light of the FA Cup. The Hammers are close to the relegation zone in the league, but evidently did make it to the Round of Sixteen in the Cup. This preview has everything you need to know about the match, including betting tips.

What are the forms like?

Of the last 10 home games, Manchester United have won nine, drawing the remaining one. Since the beginning of September, United have been unbeaten at home. After the winter break, West Ham United has performed shakily, but better than before, when things were downright bad. Out of the seven away games The Hammers played in the league in 2023, they managed two wins, three draws and two losses, picking up nine points in the process. Given the level of opponent can vary wildly in the FA Cup, we thought it fairest to judge the teams' forms on their league results.

Who will score?

At West Ham, much is expected of Danny Ings, for good reason. The Englishman came over from Aston Villa in the winter break for 12 million euros and added two goals to his tally last weekend. One small problem: he is not allowed to not play against Manchester United. He already played in the FA Cup with his previous club, against Stevenage, in January. FA Cup rules state that a player is not allowed to play for two different teams in the same season. Now Gianluca Scamacca can take over from him. The Italian striker is back from injury. Jarrod Bowen can also score; he did so as many as 12 times last season. This season he is second on the club's top scorers list with four goals, behind Ings.

At Manchester United, a certain homegrown striker cannot stop scoring. Marcus Rashford played seven games so far in February and scored seven goals in them. Since the winter break, he has scored as many as seventeen goals in nineteen games. So a goal from Rashford is not a crazy thought. Besides Rashford, the entire squad scores occasionally, no one really stands out. A goal for Weghorst may not be a crazy thought either, as he gets a lot of chances. However, the Dutchman managed to score only once so far.

When will the goals be scored?

Manchester United scores at least once in 92% of their home matches, twice in 75%. In 50% of home games they kept a clean sheet, in 33% of games they let one through. In 17% of games their opponent scored more than once. In away games, West Ham United scored more than 0.5 goals in 50% of games. They almost always stop there however, given that scoring more than once happened in only 8% of their away games. Furthermore, in away games they almost never keep a clean sheet: they conceded in 92% of the games they got. In only 33% of those games they scored more than once, so it is not a Swiss cheese at the back after all.

Manchester United scored twice as much in the second half as in the first. In 83% of home games, they scored at least once after halftime, compared to 58% of away games. Furthermore, in 83% of home games they keep a clean sheet in the first half, compared to 57% in the second half. Thus, should West Ham score at all, it is likely to happen in the second half. Their own statistics also support that idea, they score slightly more often in the second half than in the first (33% to 25%). Opponents score equally often in both halves, only in the second half the amount of goals against is a bit higher.