Red Devils and Hammers will fight for the right to play at Wembley in the FA Cup semis.
Manchester United will face West Ham on Sunday in the FA Cup quarterfinals, and the prospect of victory looks bleak at this point.
The Red Devils are coming off a horrid display against Liverpool in the Europa League, losing 2-0 and showing no fortitude or desire. In direct contrast, the Hammers won in spectacular fashion in their most recent match against Everton. West Ham came back from down 2-0 to go on to win 3-2.
To make matters worse, United are in the business end of a long stretch of matches in quick succession, meaning the players will certainly have tired legs. That presents a selection dilemma for Louis van Gaal, especially considering the second leg of the Europa League just days later.
But the team is focused on delivering a trophy to the United supporters, and the FA Cup might be the best avenue of doing so. Bearing that in mind, several United players will need to elevate their game drastically. Here are three key battles that could decide the result.
Timothy Fosu-Mensah vs Diafra Sakho
In their typical formation which mirrors Manchester United’s own, West Ham lines up with Diafra Sakho as the lone striker. As a result, his hold up play and linking with the attacking midfielders is crucial to his side’s chance creation. The 26-year-old has generally been up to that task, scoring four goals in 14 Premier League appearances.
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If Fosu-Mensah gets the start in relief of the fatigued Daley Blind, he will match up with the opposing striker for a good portion of the game. Despite the Dutch defender’s young age of 18, he has already proven more than capable of playing at the senior level.
Unfortunately, he missed out on the Europa League loss as a consequence of UEFA regulations, but his involvement against West Ham would be a huge boost to the United back line.
Michael Carrick vs Dimitri Payet
In West Ham’s impressive season, in which they currently sit ahead of Manchester United at fourth in the table, Payet has been the face of success. His eight goals and seven assists in the Premier League have thrust him into the spotlight and he has answered time and time again. In his squad’s dramatic comeback against Everton last weekend, it was Payet who scored the decisive goal in the dying minutes to secure the win. His creativity and distribution will be heavily influential in the clash, while Carrick will aim to limit his impact.
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The 34-year-old has had a rough few weeks recently, with his age clearly showing as a limitation to his pace and awareness. In the past couple of seasons, Manchester United have generally won when Carrick has been involved. But be it because of the weakened state of the current squad or because the player himself is in the midst of a decline, the midfield leader has been less capable of driving his side to victory.
Adnan Januzaj vs Angelo Ogbonna
With Juan Mata suspended for the match as a result of his red card against West Brom, Januzaj could be next in line to play in the no. 10 position. His involvement in the reserves side for the Red Devils has been further up the pitch, but his abilities align with the attacking midfield role. While the Belgian international has decent footwork and technique, his physicality will be tested against Ogbonna.
The West Ham defender and former teammate of Matteo Darmian has had an above average season, and his physique should be in his favor. Januzaj will likely make runs of Anthony Martial in the final third, but he’ll either need to outpace Ogbonna or beat him with skill, because he definitely will not match up physically.
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For Manchester United to end their losing spell and progress to the next round of the FA Cup, these three players will need to perform above expectations. If the squad wants to deliver a trophy this season, there can be no excuses for losing.