Can West Ham snatch another unlikely win from Manchester United?

West Ham’s first match against Manchester United this season was an unlikely win for the Hammers at the London Stadium. The Reds weren’t in fine form but no one pegged the Irons for a win. Can Pellegrini inspire the team to a season sweep at Old Trafford now?

A first for Felipe with a cheeky backheel started the part last time out against Manchester United. It inspired a 3-1 win for the Hammers, an unlikely result considering their early season woes, and kickstarted a resurgence in the table.

Since then, West Ham have improved to a top half team chasing Europa League football and regressed to a team that inexplicably can’t get up for any match week. Manchester United sacked Mourinho and thrived under Ole Gunner Skojskar as his replacement. Their midweek Champions League match shows the drift in the two teams’ levels.

Sure, Champions League is a priority for Manchester United, but it can also be a reason West Ham can get back on track. A Wednesday match against Lionel Messi and Barcelona will leave the first-choice team on empty come Saturday. This could possibly be West Ham’s way into the match.

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There’s really one key for West Ham to succeed in this game: show up on time. The Hammers have been sleeping in the first half in their most recent fixtures, starting on the back foot and allowing teams, regardless of skill and table position, to dictate the pace of play. This won’t fly against a team like Manchester United.

The storm could only be weathered for so long against Chelsea, erm Eden Hazard I mean, as sloppy first half play and lumping the ball up the pitch eventually allowed Hazard a chance in on goal. What followed was a better second half from the Irons but a far cry from a full, 90-minute performance.

West Ham need to start fast, take the ball to Manchester United, and get stuck in early. Speed and physicality is the name of the game against a tired team. If the Irons can shoot out of the gate and be the aggressors, hell, even pick up a card or two in the first half, and show their opponents it isn’t going to be a pleasurable football match, they’ll have a shot.

It’s a big IF but West Ham need a marquee performance, and with the eyes that Manchester United draws upon them, why not against the big bad Reds?