West Ham United travel to the Old Trafford for the 2nd time on Wednesday as they gear up to face Manchester United in the EFL Cup. Having knocked Chelsea out on their way to the Quarters, the Hammers will be a confident lot after collecting a point at Old Trafford on Sunday. The Red Devils are stuttering and their form, especially at home, will be a cause of optimism for the visitors.
West Ham have players who can make a difference and all they need is to click to be able to heap more misery on Rooney and Co. Jose Mourinho seems to be unsettled and a sense of unhealthy atmosphere in and around the club regarding lots of niggling issues makes this a perfect time for Bilic to make a statement and start their resurgence.
Let us look at the 3 key battles which will likely shape the outcome of this virtual re-match.
ANTONIO VS LUKE SHAW
Antonio has shown this season that while he may not be the most polished player around, he has more than enough capability to unsettle the best defences in the country. Blessed with raw physicality and pace, along with excellent aerial ability, he will certainly be a major headache for the United backline, especially Shaw, who is expected to play at left-back.
The England international has been in and out of the team and will have to stand tall and be focused on containing West Ham’s highest scorer. Stopping Antonio will go a long way in nullifying the West Ham attack.
WAYNE ROONEY VS CHEIKHOU KOUYATE
The England captain has been a loyal servant for years and is on the cusp of being United’s highest ever goal scorer. And although he has had a considerable dip in his performances in recent seasons, he still possesses enough class to make a difference against the Hammers.
Having shown glimpses of his ability a couple of times this season, he would love to be the driving force behind United’s 1st win in their 5th attempt at home. In the absence of Paul Pogba, Rooney will be the main creator in the advanced midfield and Kouyate, who is expected to line-up in the defensive midfield, will be tasked with keeping him quiet.
DIMITRI PAYET VS FOSU-MENSAH
The Frenchman has been another shining light after Antonio for the Hammers this season and will again look to trouble the jittery United backline. He provided the assist in the match on Sunday and his set-piece delivery will be their main threat.
United have rotated their full-backs and with matches coming thick and fast, Mourinho might look to play Fosu-Mensah in that position. In that case, the youngster has to be at his best to keep Payet quiet.
