WHZ View: Return of fans will serve as timely boost to West Ham
Fans will return to a Premier League game for the first time in months when West Ham take on Manchester United at the London Stadium on December 5.
After London was placed in tier two restrictions by the UK government on Thursday the Hammers can welcome back 2,000 fans after a long absence.
It was the 29th of February when fans last watched West Ham in the London Stadium as the Hammers beat Southampton 3-1.
There is no doubting the impact fans can have on the outcome of a game and even though only 2.5% of the London Stadium’s capacity can be used, the few fans that make it in will provide their side with a timely boost.
If the Hammers defeat Aston Villa on Monday it will have fans looking up the Premier League table after a third consecutive win.
Just a few days after that David Moyes’ team face a Manchester United side who have been incredibly inconsistent this season.
Despite beating RB Leipzig in the Champions League, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have surprisingly lost to Crystal Palace and Istanbul Basaksehir.
We have no doubt that if West Ham perform to the same level as they have done in recent weeks then they can pick up another positive result against a top-six side after good results against Manchester City and Tottenham this season.
It may be strange having just a few fans in, the players will probably be able to hear individual voices, but Moyes will send his players out after telling them to put in extra effort for the fans who have waited so long to return to their home.
In all honesty, we think that even behind closed doors the Hammers could beat an out of sorts Man United team.
We all remember when the London Stadium was rocking last year as Aaron Cresswell put the Hammers 2-0 up against the Red Devils with a free-kick that confirmed a famous win. We are hoping for similar scenes in two weeks.
But the boost of having fans back at the London Stadium will provide that extra incentive for the players and it looks as if the return of fans couldn’t come at a better time for the Irons.
In other West Ham news, Michail Antonio looks set to play some role in the game against Aston Villa.