Manchester United vs West Ham Prediction 5 December 2025

🔊 Will Manchester United start building a new winning streak? In the final match of Premier League's 14th round, Ruben Amorim's side will host West Ham. The hosts at the "Theatre of Dreams" are considered favorites, but they desperately lack consistency. A win could propel the Red Devils into the top five, while a loss might push them out of the top ten. The Hammers, on the other hand, are fighting for survival, hovering around the relegation zone.

Head-to-Head

📊 Manchester United outperformed West Ham in the Premier League Summer Series, securing a 2-1 victory and ultimately winning the tournament. While this is a great result, it's worth noting that the Red Devils had lost to the Hammers in 4 of their previous 5 encounters, failing to score in three of those matches. However, when you shift the focus to Old Trafford, the scenario flips—United have won 4 out of the last 5 home games against West Ham.

Manchester United Team Overview

The "Red Devils" continue their search for form, and it's unclear how long this quest will last. In October, they put together an encouraging run of three victories, but as November began, they stopped winning and even suffered a home defeat to Everton (0-1). Manchester spent almost the entire match with a numerical advantage but were dreadful in their positional attacks, as Ruben Amorim later pointed out.

Yet, United wrapped up the autumn stretch with a surprisingly successful result—a road victory against Crystal Palace (2-1), ending the Eagles' 12-match unbeaten home streak. However, context is key here—once again, the Mancunians struggled to create from open play. Both goals came from set-pieces. Notably, the scorers were players for whom finding the net is a rare occurrence—Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount.

West Ham United Team Overview

West Ham are the polar opposite of Manchester United when it comes to recent match outcomes. The Hammers had a dismal October, suffering three consecutive defeats. However, with the arrival of November, they adapted to Nuno Espírito Santo's demands and picked up points in three straight rounds, pulling themselves out of the relegation zone.

It seemed the Londoners were capable of challenging a struggling Liverpool, especially on home turf. However, the match in the last round turned out to be a major disappointment for their fans. West Ham failed to offer anything substantial against the Reds, creating no significant chances. Their expected goals (xG) stood at just 0.39. As a result, they suffered a deserved 0-2 defeat, marking their first loss in over a month.

Latest news

Manchester United

🎙 Ruben Amorim, following the match against Crystal Palace, once again emphasized his team's intensity: "In the last 10 minutes of the first half, I sensed that the opposition was struggling, and it would be even tougher for them after the break. However, you can't play in the Premier League with the same pace and intensity as at the start of the match. We discussed this in the dressing room; it felt like if we stepped up and scored one goal, the game would change completely. In the end, we increased our intensity, and the opposition got tired—it's all interconnected, and it was physics that decided it. As for set-pieces, they're critically important in our league. Throw-ins, corners, free-kicks—these are all opportunities to score and boost the team's confidence. If you're not working on set-pieces, consider yourself already defeated."

📝 Laurie Whitwell from The Athletic reports that Manchester United might enter the transfer market in January, but it's likely they'll be looking for budget options rather than major long-term signings. However, the club is prepared if circumstances change.

❌ Benjamin Šeško remains in Manchester United's injury list, and Harry Maguire's fitness is also a concern, putting his participation against West Ham in doubt. On a brighter note, Matheus Cunha has returned to team training and will be ready to take the field.

West Ham United

🎙 Nuno Espírito Santo after the match against Liverpool: “I believe we had good spells where we found space in the final third, but our decision-making wasn’t as precise as we would have liked. Even when down to ten men, the team showed character. The guys had both spirit and desire on a day that was truly mournful for the club. Billy Bonds' passing affected everyone, and we aimed to change the atmosphere a bit with our performance. The lads fought hard, so we’ll keep moving forward.”

❗ The head coach also commented on the controversial sending-off of Lucas Paquetá: “He’s not okay; he’s suffering, but he understands his mistake and is ready to move on. People sometimes aren’t aware of the challenges players face. But I believe Lucas will handle this situation.”

❌ Oliver Skarls and Crysencio Summerville remain sidelined. The Englishman has been out for a while due to a shoulder injury, while the Dutchman missed the last match because of a calf issue. According to Espírito Santo, he’s not ready to play yet. Naturally, suspended Lucas Paquetá won't be in the squad either.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The match will be officiated by a team led by Andrew Kitchen. The Englishman predominantly referees in the Championship, where he averages 2.9 bookings per game. In the Premier League, he tends to be stricter, averaging 3.5. However, this is still a relatively low figure, and in 9 of his last 10 matches, fewer than 3.5 yellow cards were issued. This gives us a solid basis to bet on under 4.5 yellow cards, a wager that has come through in each of the last seven head-to-head clashes between Manchester United and West Ham at Old Trafford.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

West Ham score under 1.5 goals in 24 of their last 25 away matches against Manchester United. We can't afford to overlook such a consistent trend, especially considering the lackluster attacking display the Hammers showed in their last outing. Therefore, we recommend placing this bet.

🚩 Corner Prediction

While the Hammers sit low in the Premier League table, they rank in the top six when it comes to corners, averaging 5.54 per game. Thus, a bet on over 2.5 corners for West Ham seems logical. The London side has exceeded this mark not only in 8 of their last 9 league fixtures but also in 6 of their last 7 away matches against Manchester United.

We believe Manchester, who typically perform well against West Ham at home, will once again capitalize on their fan support to secure a hard-fought victory with a scoreline of 2-1. However, both teams are highly unpredictable, so betting on the outcome seems risky. The most favorable option, in our opinion, is over 2.5 goals, as recent matches between the “Red Devils” and the “Hammers” rarely end with low scores. Additionally, this bet has come through in 7 out of the last 8 matches officiated by Andrew Kitchen.