James Ward-Prowse is itching to try and help deliver a first league win at Manchester United for 18 years on Sunday, and spark a strong end to what has overall been a disappointing campaign.
The Hammers travel north this weekend for their penultimate away trip of 2024/25, looking to overturn a run of eight games without victory at a venue where they haven’t tasted success in the top flight since a memorable Carlos Tevez strike proved decisive back in May 2007.
While the Red Devils have similarly underwhelmed on a domestic front this term, with their ten wins and nine draws from 35 fixtures placing them two positions and two points above West Ham, in 15th, they will go into this clash full of confidence after booking their spot in the UEFA Europa League final on Thursday night.
A 4-1 semi-final second-leg triumph over Athletic Bilbao, and a 7-1 aggregate scoreline, has raised hopes of silverware and a return to the Champions League in the red half of their city, and while Ward-Prowse expects Ruben Amorim’s troops to come out firing, he has his eyes firmly focused on clinching a welcome full share of the spoils.
He said: “We all just want to finish the season positively, and take a bit of momentum into next season. I think that's the key thing - we need to walk away from here with a good feeling before coming back in the summer.
“It’s not been good enough recently, or all season, but there are three games left now and we have to put everything into them. Manchester United are up next, and going there is a really exciting challenge.
“I think it’s probably been a bit of a transitional period for them, with a new manager coming in mid-season, and there are probably similarities with us in that sense.
“But no matter what Manchester United team you go and face at Old Trafford, you know they can produce anything at any moment, especially coming off the back of their result on Thursday.
“They're all going to be wanting to play for their place in that final, so they won't be taking it easy. Whatever team we face, I'm sure their players will be ready and raring to go, and it’s up to us to be ready to take our game to them.”
Ward-Prowse, who made his 400th Premier League appearance in the narrow defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion last month, has faced Manchester United 21 times in total during his storied career, and he believes he knows what will be required to pick up what would be a third win for him at the home of the 20-time English champions.
Also on our No8’s mind is his hope to notch a first goal of 2024/25 before the season’s end, and after going close in the late stages of last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, he would love to score against United for a third time.
“When you go to Old Trafford, you need to play well, you need to have a good game plan, and you need a bit of luck,” Ward-Prowse added. “I think on the two occasions I’ve won there (with Southampton in January 2015 and January 2016), we’ve had that, and hopefully we’ll have the tools to do so again on Sunday.
“You've got to try and quieten the crowd down as quickly as you can, because it can be a good atmosphere there, and you just have to take your chances. It’s going to be a really good occasion.
“I've decided not to speak about the free-kick last week too much, because I've tried to erase it from my memory! I was so confident I was going to score, and I've lost sleep over it, put it that way! Hopefully I can score this weekend, and put that to bed!”
