It is the end of an era on Tuesday night as West Ham say farewell to the Boleyn Ground best known as Upton Park when they play their final home match of the Premier League season against Manchester United.
Saturday’s defeat has left West Ham needing snookers in the race for fourth place but they will be determined to finish in a position which will give them European football in their new home and to do that they will need to win this one. United can move into fourth with a win of their own so this is a big game for all kinds of reasons.
West Ham
The Hammers have teetered on the edge of the top four all season but they haven’t quite been able to get that big result which will have catapulted them into those places and now the best they can realistically finish is fifth but that would be some improvement on season’s gone by.
Dimitri Payet has had all the plaudits this season and rightly so but all eyes here will be on the likes of Aaron Cresswell, Mark Noble and Andy Carroll as they push for places in Roy Hodgson’s Euro 2016 squad which is announced later this week.
Man Utd
For all the controversies and criticisms of Man Utd this season they have managed to maintain ground with the top four and a win here will put them in with an excellent chance of a return to Champions League football next season.
They haven’t always been convincing and they are certainly nowhere near as pretty to watch as United sides have been in the past but if this is a results business they seem to be on the right track with just one defeat in seven which was when Tottenham produced arguably the best 10 minutes of the season to open them up.
Team news
West Ham will be without their goalkeeper Adrian for this match. Darren Randolph will deputise for him. Slaven Bilic has no fresh concerns for his side’s last match at this famous old venue.
Man Utd are set to be without Anthony Martial who pulled out of Saturday’s win at Norwich during the warm up. Daley Blind and Marcus Rashford were both rested for that game but they should return here. Marouane Fellaini is banned.
Betting
The sentimentalists will be willing on a West Ham win here, as I’m sure will Arsenal and Man City fans but I’m not one to be betting on sentiment even though I wouldn’t rule West Ham out with a big crowd likely to be as loud as they’ve been all season behind them.
This United side aren’t pleasing on the eye but they are efficient even though they are heavily criticised and so I’m reluctant to take them on although they weren’t the most convincing at Norwich on Saturday but again they got the job done which is their way at the minute.
With that in mind I’ll leave the match betting alone and focus on goals in this one because I have a feeling this one will be played at a bit of a cup-tie tempo. West Ham are certainly likely to give it their all to win given what the game means but United can’t just soak it up they will have to offer something too as they need to win the game.
In my eyes we’ve already had a taster of how this one will play out when the two met in the FA Cup quarter final replay here. United won 2-1 that night and there were a host of chances for more goals. I’m expecting similar here and wouldn’t be surprised if there are more goals here than there were then.
Tips
WON – Back Over 2.5 goals for a 4/10 stake at 2.04 with 188bet
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