As it happened: West Ham United 1-3 Manchester United

The final whistle has gone off in a game which could be easily described as a game of two halves.

Tomas Soucek was the scorer for West Ham in the first half, goals from Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford for Manchester United were key to change the game in the Reds' favour.

I'm now going to cry. Cheers, West Ham.

And that would be that. Marcus Rashford scores from a beautiful Juan Mata pass.

Can West Ham come back? Possibly. Are they going to? Probably not.

72' Another great chance for Man United.

Bruno Fernandes put Marcus Rashford through on goal but the forward hit the post.

And just like that, the visitors are ahead.

A great cross from Telles and an even better finish from Mason Greenwood who put the Reds ahead.

What a goal from Paul Pogba.

The ball looked to be out of play but VAR couldn't agree on it, so the goal stands.

51' Close from the Hammers again!

Very good play from Haller to feed Coufal whose back-post cross found Bowen but he was late and missed the open-net.

In response, Harry Maguire tried a shot from range but it was straight at Fabiański.

46' And we're back underway!

Two changes for Manchester United - Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes replace Edinson Cavani and Donny Van De Beek.

And that's it for the first half - Tomas Soucek's goal has set the scoreline for now, but it could've been more for the Hammers.

Man Utd though, very poor. Only one clear chance to score through Anthony Martial but Łukasz Fabiański was equal to his strike.

Oh, it was coming.

After some great play from Haller, Bowen won a corner.

Great delivery from Aaron Cresswell, Declan Rice got a flick-on towards the back post and Tomas Soucek was there to finish!

 

35' Another one!

Great work from Bowen again, smart play from Haller to get the ball into Fornals' feet but his toe-poke only managed to hit the post and Henderson easily gathered.

32' WHAT A CHANCE!

Great work from Jarrod Bowen and an even better cross towards the far post, but Pablo Fornals' open header wasn't accurate and hit the side-netting. 

Very poor from the Spaniard. 

23' First threatening chance by Manchester United.

Great cross from Alex Telles towards Edinson Cavani, but the Uruguayan wasn't quick enough for it and Angelo Ogbonna cleared for a corner.

19' First shot on goal by The Reds through Anthony Martial, but it was blocked out.

Following corner-kick was easily cleared.

Nearly 1-0 up for West Ham!

Great pass from Vladimir Coufal but Bowen was just offside as he finished the chance on his weak-foot.

2' First chance!

The Hammers started on a front foot and Pablo Fornals has been the first man to have a shot on target. 

Good positioning from Dean Henderson and Jarrod Bowen's follow up ended up in the stands.

And we're underway!

Expecting a very good game tonight.

Five minutes left until the kick-off, so it's time for predictions!

We think it will end up with a 2-2 draw, and you? Let us know on Twitter at @VAVEL.

It's the first time since March that fans are allowed in the stands. It might be only 2,000, but what a refreshing sight that is...

A sight for sore eyes 👀

Welcome back, fans 👋#WHUMUN pic.twitter.com/zDU5I4k4Wi

— Premier League USA (@PLinUSA) December 5, 2020

Henderson; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire (C), Telles; Pogba, Van De Beek, McTominay; Greenwood, Cavani, Martial.

 

🚨 Presenting: your United XI to take on the Hammers! 🚨

🔴 #MUFC
#️⃣ #WHUMUN
🏆 #PL

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 5, 2020

Fabiański, Coufal, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku; Soucek, Rice (C); Bowen, Haller, Fornals.

 

📋 Here's how our team looks this evening!#WHUMUN pic.twitter.com/NgsDuXUw1n

— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 5, 2020

If you want to watch the game on TV, your options are Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event.

If you can't, the game will be available through the NOW TV pass.

If you want to follow it on the internet, VAVEL UK is your best option!

De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles; Fred, Van de Beek, Fernandes; James, Cavani, Martial.

Fabiański, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Coufal, Soucek, Rice, Masuaku; Bowen, Haller, Benrahma.

After joining from Brentford FC on deadline day, Said Benrahma has been a vital part of the West Ham squad as his two assists in very limited minutes were key to the Hammers' winning run.

And on Saturday he could potentially earn his first start in the Claret&Blue due to Pablo Fornals' poor form.

The head-to-head record would suggest a very interesting game as out of the previous 10 matchups, West Ham won three, Man Utd won four and three other games ended in draws.

The teams latest meeting ended with a 1-1 draw in July 2020.

The hosts are coming into the game off a narrow 2-1 win against Aston Villa, which left them sitting fifth in the league table.

The visitors, who have been inconsistent so far this season, have narrowly beaten leagues overachievers, Southampton FC, by three goals to two thanks to a late brace from Edinson Cavani.

But their latest game, a mid-week UEFA Champions League tie against PSG, ended with a 1-3 loss.

West Ham United v Manchester United will be played at the London Stadium, London, England. The kick-off is scheduled at 18:30 GMT.

Welcome to VAVEL UK's LIVE coverage of the 2020/21 Premier League match West Ham United v Manchester United!

My name is Alan Rzepa and I'll be your host for this game. We will provide you with pre-game analysis, squad updates and news as it happens live here on VAVEL.com