Chris Sutton predicts West Ham United vs Manchester United result with second-string XI possible
Chris Sutton has predicted David Moyes to play a West Ham “second-string” at Manchester United and suffer a routine defeat as a result.
The Hammers finally let loose against Nottingham Forest on Saturday (25 February), with Danny Ings at the heart of a badly-needed 4-0 win, while Erik ten Hag’s side won the Carabao Cup against Newcastle a day later.
Sutton expects West Ham to be focusing on the weekend trip to Brighton (4 February) and while he has moved to temper fellow pundit Robbie Savage’s excitement about Ten Hag he has predicted a comfortable 2-0 home win.
Sutton said in his BBC Sport predictions column: “My 606 co-host Robbie Savage says Erik ten Hag is the best manager in the world following Manchester United’s Carabao Cup triumph.
“Ten Hag is doing an excellent job but I can’t help thinking Robbie has got a bit carried away there, just for a change.
“I can see why Manchester United fans are getting excited about what is to come, though. I also see them winning this tie pretty comfortably.
“West Ham got a big win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday but they are still in trouble at the bottom of the Premier League table and they will definitely make changes with their weekend trip to Brighton in mind.
“The Hammers looked more like the team they were last season with the way they attacked Forest, but we might see their second-string at Old Trafford and the result will reflect that, with a routine home win.”
Comedown?
In light of the two sides’ respective seasons it is clearly going to be a tough task to get a result at Old Trafford in midweek.
Viewing it from an optimistic perspective the Forest win might have been the very late arrival of the side supporters were expecting when the big-money arrivals came in during the summer, even if it took a January signing to spearhead it.
At the same time, the way Ten Hag and company were celebrating the League Cup victory shows how big of a deal that was to them, so with a league game coming so soon after there is the possibility they take their eye off the ball briefly.
Moyes can’t really afford to write off any fixture so it would be risky to head to his old side and put out a second choice line-up.
The number of injuries West Ham have dealt with this season might make that tempting if Brighton is seen as a winnable game but giving up momentum from the win would be disappointing.
The Hammers can’t let up after finally producing the type of performance everyone has been waiting for all year, as the relegation battle remains on despite climbing to 16th, so fighting for at least a point in midweek is going to be necessary.