Manchester United enter the final match of this Premier League round knowing a win puts them in a healthy place in the table. Three points against struggling West Ham at Old Trafford would take them up to fifth.
The area around United remains incredibly tight. They sit in the centre of an eleven team cluster that is separated by only five points. If Ruben Amorim wants his side to make genuine strides this season, this is the moment to build momentum.
Manchester United showed good fight to come back and beat Crystal Palace over the weekend, but the memory of their previous outing at Old Trafford still lingers. They lost to Everton despite playing against ten men for most of that match, a result that raised real concerns about consistency and focus.
West Ham may arrive with a plan to sit deep and frustrate, yet United know they cannot afford another stumble. This is the type of fixture where a serious side steps up, controls the tempo and gets the job done. Tonight demands exactly that.
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