• The Dutchman has restored belief among the Old Trafford fan base
• The Hammers have been eliminated at this stage for a second successive season.
Image: /FILE
Manchester United will hope to get the better of West Ham United when the two sides meet on Wednesday in the FA Cup fifth-round clash at Old Trafford.
A win for United will put the 20-time Premier League Champions firmly on course for another domestic crown.
Goals from Marcus Rashford and Brazilian midfield lynchpin Casemiro saw the Red Devils beat Newcastle United 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley last Sunday.
Unlike their opponents who have blown hot and cold this season and languish in 16th position in the league, United are resurgent under Erick Ten Hag.
United sit third on 49 points, six behind neighbours Manchester City who have collected 46 points though Man U has played one game less.
The Hammers have been eliminated at this stage for a second successive season. Another defeat at Old Trafford will be horrendous. The Hammers under former United Manager David Moyes face an uphill task. United have been in imperious form since after the World Cup.
Rashford looks re-born under the keen-to-detail Ten Hag and is among the best strikers in Europe at the moment.
The Dutchman has restored belief among the Old Trafford fan base and the 12-time FA Cup winners have what it takes to record another win.
West Ham's 4-0 resounding win over Nottingham Forest over the weekend somehow eased the pressure on under-fire Moyes and it remains to be seen whether they can keep United at bay.
Christian Eriksen, Donny van de Beek and Antony Martial are absent for Unite. Vladimir Coufal and Lukasz Fabianski are sidelined for West Ham.
Defender Kort Zouma and Maxwel Conet returned to training this week though this match might come too early for them. Squad rotation could be witnessed here amidst the congested fixtures.
The last six meetings between the two teams have been decided by just one goal and another tight affair could be in store here.