How Manchester United should line up to beat West Ham United

Manchester United v Arsenal - Premier League

After a dire display against Brighton last week that resulted in Manchester United's 7th loss this season, Jose Mourinho will demand a response from his stars when they travel to London to visit West Ham United.

Mourinho decided to rotate his squad against Brighton and the decision to do so backfired. Romelu Lukaku's foot injury was an excuse to start Marcus Rashford as a striker and Alexis Sanchez's illness saw Anthony Martial given a rare start at left-wing.

However, both of them failed to make an impression as United succumbed to a defeat. Mourinho also decided to start Matteo Darmian, Marcos Rojo and Marouane Fellaini but none of them impressed.

West Ham are coming off the back of a 2-0 victory over Leicester City and will be looking to end the season on a high after succeeding in their task of avoiding relegation.

Mourinho will want a response and in a bid to gain some much-needed momentum going into next week's FA Cup final against Chelsea, a win today is imperative.

So we look at the ideal way in which Mourinho should line up today:


Goalkeeper: David de Gea

Manchester United v Arsenal - Premier League
de Gea to win the Golden Glove?

An absolute no-brainer really, de Gea could make history today and win his first ever Golden Glove. He currently has one more Clean Sheet than Ederson, and having played a game less, the Spaniard needs 1 more in the last 2 games to get his hands on the accolade.

However, United have kept just 1 clean sheet in their last 5 matches, partly because Mourinho has constantly rotated his centre-back pairing.

He will be wary of the threat West Ham possess - The Hammers have failed to score only twice in their last 14 games. Expect de Gea to be on top of his game today.

Centre-backs: Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling

Manchester United v Brighton & Hove Albion - The Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final
Bailly to return?

Eric Bailly is undoubtedly United's best defender but despite being fully fit, he has not featured in their last 5 games, apparently due to a dental problem.

However, the strength the West Ham attackers possess may cause Mourinho to re-think his decision and include the Ivorian in the line-up. Marko Arnautovic is expected to start as the central striker and after settling his differences with David Moyes, Andy Carroll is expected to play a part as well.

Both of them are known to physically outplay their markers and it may require Bailly's rugged aggression to contain them.

One defender who has been not been plagued by injuries and has been an ever-present this season has been Chris Smalling. Despite being prone to the occasional error, he has often stepped up at times when it has mattered the most.

He has also been a threat on the other end of the pitch and has found the back of the net 4 times this season. We expect Smalling to keep his place in the team.

Full-backs: Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young

Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur - The Emirates FA Cup Semi Final
Valencia will return

After being omitted against Brighton, we \expect Valencia to return at right-back today. He has been a consistent performer for The Red Devils this season and has worn the captain's arm-band in Michael Carrick's absence.

He has averaged 1.8 tackles and 2.0 clearances per game and despite occasionally showing signs of ageing, has at least one more year in him. He will be tasked with nullifying Manuel Lanzini as his intelligent runs and dribbling ability often cause problems for defenders

It remains a mystery as to why Mourinho does not trust Luke Shaw more, but there have been many occasions which have showcased Ashley Young's underlying ability to slot-in effortlessly at left-back.

He drew plaudits for annihilating Mohammed Salah when Liverpool visited Old Trafford in March and is arguably their best crosser of the ball as well.

Valencia and Young are almost certain to start the FA Cup final against Chelsea and thus will be handed starts today as Mourinho will be looking to rest the pair on the final day of the season.

Midfielders: Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera

Herrera will replace Fellaini
Herrera will replace Fellaini

There has been a lot of discussions among pundits and fans alike regarding the way Mourinho needs to deploy his midfielders.

For almost the entirety of his career, he has played a solid 4-2-3-1 but it limits the freedom Paul Pogba craves. Thus, of late, Mourinho has changed the system to a 4-3-3 to give more freedom to the Frenchman. It is widely believed that he will stick with this system next season.

Fellaini was given a start against Brighton but he is reportedly out of contention for today's match and the ever-reliable Ander Herrera is likely to take his place.

Nemanja Matic has been an incredible buy for United and has brought a sense of calmness and composure to the centre of the park. Mourinho is likely to play the trio and will be hoping that they can make the difference today and against Chelsea next Saturday.

Wingers: Alexis Sanchez and Jesse Lingard

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Premier League
The duo to return?

Following Martial's uninspiring performance against Brighton and Sanchez's timely return from injury, the Chilean should replace the Frenchman in the line-up.

Sanchez has had a difficult start to life in Manchester but he has shown glimpses of what he is capable of. He is slowly getting into the groove and the signs have been positive.

He played a starring role in United's remarkable comeback victory against Manchester City and the United faithful will be hoping for more of the same next season when he has had some much-needed rest and a good pre-season with the club.

Jesse Lingard's evolution this season has been remarkable, to say the least. With 14 goals and 5 assists to his name in all competitions, he is enjoying his best ever season at the club. We expect him to play on the right wing and cause problems for United old boy Patrice Evra today.

Forward: Marcus Rashford

Manchester United v Liverpool - Premier League
Another chance for Rashford?

Despite a dismal performance against Brighton, Lukaku's continued absence is likely to ensure Rashford gets the nod again.

He will want to set the record straight and will be hoping to end his 6-game run without scoring, thereby giving his team a much-needed lift ahead of the FA Cup final.

West Ham are likely to play a back-three of Declan Rice, Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell and Mourinho will be hoping that his front three can cause them problems with their interplay and regular interchanging of positions.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram
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