Manchester United match preview

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Introduction

• Manchester United are the visitors to the Boleyn Ground for Saturday's televised evening kick-off in the Barclays Premier League.

• West Ham United will be aiming to end a run of two successive league defeats against the Red Devils, after losses to Everton and Stoke City.

• Both those defeats came away from home with a 3-1 loss to the Potters last Saturday leaving the Hammers in 12th position in the table.

• Sam Allardyce's side return to east London looking to earn a fourth straight home win after victories against Swansea City, Norwich City and Southampton in February.

• In the corresponding fixture last season, Mo Diame and Ricardo Vaz Te scored for the Hammers in a 2-2 draw.

• Manchester United arrive at the Boleyn Ground having suffered a demoralising defeat against Liverpool in their last league outing, going down 3-0 at Old Trafford.

• They did however bounce back with a win against Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, a Robin van Persie hat-trick seeing the Red Devils through to the quarter-finals.

• The champions' hopes of finishing in the top-four seem all but finished as they lie 12 points behind fourth-placed Manchester City ahead of Saturday's match.

• A stuttering first season in charge has left David Moyes' team in seventh place in the table, with 48 points from 29 games.

Team news

West Ham United

• The Hammers will be without Joey O'Brien (shoulder) and Marco Borriello (calf) for the visit of the champions.

• Jack Collison (Wigan Athletic), Ravel Morrison, Modibo Maiga (both QPR), Paul McCallum (Heart of Midlothian) and George Moncur (Partick Thistle) are all out on loan.

Manchester United

• Nemanja Vidic was red carded in the Red Devils' last Premier League outing and is suspended for Saturday's clash.

• Robin van Persie was stretchered off against Olympiacos on Wednesday night with a knee injury and will definitely miss the visit to the Hammers.

Last time out

Stoke City 3-1 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
15 March 2014

West Ham United: Adrian, Demel, Tomkins, Reid, McCartney, Noble, Nolan, Nocerino (C Cole 76), Diame, Downing (J Cole 62), Carroll (Armero 83)
Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, Collins, Taylor, Jarvis
Goal: Carroll 5

Manchester United 3-0 Olympiacos
UEFA Champions League
19 March 2014

Manchester United: De Gea, Rafael, Evra, Ferdinand, Jones, Giggs, Valencia (Young 77), Carrick, van Persie (Fellaini 90), Rooney, Welbeck (Fletcher 81)
Subs not used: Lindegaard, Hernandez, Januzaj, Kagawa
Goals: van Persie 25 pen, 45, 51

Previous meeting

Carlton Cole struck a late consolation as the Hammers were comfortably beaten at Old Trafford in December 2013. Danny Welbeck and Adnan Januzaj struck before the break to put the hosts firmly in control, and their position was strengthened further in the second period by Ashley Young's curled shot. Cole came off the bench to pull one back for the Hammers but there was not enough time left to inspire a fightback.

Manchester United 3-1 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 21 December 2013

Manchester United: De Gea, Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra (Buttner 80), Jones, Cleverley, Valencia, Rooney, Januzaj (Young 69), Welbeck (Hernandez 54)
Subs not used: Johnstone, Fletcher, Giggs, Kagawa
Goals: Welbeck 26, Januzaj 36, Young 72

West Ham United: Adrian, Demel, Tomkins, Collins (Rat 75), McCartney, Noble, Diame, Taylor (Collison 62), Morrison, Jarvis (C Cole 71), Maiga
Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Diarra, J Cole
Goal: C Cole 81

Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)

21 December 2013 - Manchester United 3-1 West Ham United
17 April 2013 - West Ham United 2-2 Manchester United
16 January 2013 - Manchester United 1-0 West Ham United
5 January 2013 - West Ham United 2-2 Manchester United
28 November 2012 - Manchester United 1-0 West Ham United
2 April 2011 - West Ham United 2-4 Manchester United

Overall record v Manchester United (all competitions) W 43 D 26 L 59

Ten-year records

West Ham United

2012/13 Premier League 10th (46 points)
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)

Manchester United

2012/13 Premier League 1st (89 points)
2011/12 Premier League 2nd (89 points)
2010/11 Premier League 1st (80 points)
2009/10 Premier League 2nd (85 points)
2008/09 Premier League 1st (90 points)
2007/08 Premier League 1st (87 points)
2006/07 Premier League 1st (89 points)
2005/06 Premier League 2nd (83 points)
2004/05 Premier League 3rd (77 points)
2003/04 Premier League 3rd (75 points)

Old boys

• Manchester United have two former West Ham United players in their squad. England defender Rio Ferdinand made 158 appearances for the club between May 1996 and November 2000, scoring two goals. Midfielder Michael Carrick scored six goals in 159 appearances between July 1999 and May 2004.

• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Jonathan Spector, Roy Carroll, Noel Cantwell, Luke Chadwick, Billy Grassam, Paul Ince, Ralph Milne, Frederick Milnes, Ravel Morrison, Frank O'Farrell, Stuart Pearson, Les Sealey, Dave Sexton, Teddy Sheringham, Carlos Tevez and Raimond van der Gouw.

Background

• The first meeting between West Ham United and Manchester United came on 25 February 1911 in the FA Cup third round. The Southern League First Division Hammers upset the Division One Red Devils 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground, with Thomas Caldwell and Danny Shea scoring the goals for the hosts and Sandy Turnbull netting for the visitors.

• The first league meeting between West Ham United and Manchester United took place at Old Trafford on Christmas Day 1922. Billy Brown and Billy Moore ensured it would be a happy Christmas for the Hammers by scoring in a 2-1 Division Two victory, with Arthur Lochhead replying for the hosts. Twenty-four hours later, on Boxing Day, Lochhead scored both goals as the Red Devils won 2-0 at the Boleyn Ground. West Ham would go on to be promoted as runners-up, while Manchester United would finish fourth.

• West Ham United's biggest-ever win over Manchester United came at the Boleyn Ground on 11 October 1930. A Viv Gibbins hat-trick inspired the Hammers to a 5-1 Division One victory, with Jim Barrett and Jimmy Ruffell also on the score sheet. Tommy Reid scored for the visitors.

• The largest crowd to witness a West Ham United versus Manchester United fixture at the Boleyn Ground was the 41,892 who saw Clyde Best, Bryan 'Pop' Robson and Geoff Hurst net in a 3-0 Division One victory on New Year's Day 1972.

• Manchester United's biggest win over West Ham United came at Old Trafford on 1 April 2000. Paul Scholes scored a treble in a 7-1 Premier League win. Denis Irwin, Andrew Cole, David Beckham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored the other goals, with Paulo Wanchope on target for the Hammers

Referee

• Lee Mason started refereeing in 1988 and in 1992 he was added to the North West Counties Football League assistant referees' list, and progressed to full referee for that competition four years later.

• He was included on the Football League list of assistant referees in 1998, and was then added to the Premier League list in 2000.

• In 2002, he was promoted to referee for the Football League and in 2003 became a 'Development Group' referee, before finally reaching the Premier League list of Select Group referees in 2006.

• His first ever match in the top tier was on 4 February 2006, when Middlesbrough lost 4-0 at home to Aston Villa.

• Mason was chosen to control the League One Play-Off final between Barnsley and Swansea on 27 May 2006.

• The official has refereed the Hammers three times in the Premier League this season, in the 3-2 defeat to Everton, 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, and most recently the 2-0 win against Cardiff in January.

• Mason will be assisted by Steve Bennett and Jake Collin on Saturday, while the fourth official will be Iain Williamson.

Walk for Dennis

Five West Ham United fans are holding a series of charity events to raise money for the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK and St Nicholas Hospice.

Kevin Driscoll, son Chas and friends Neil, Sean and Bill from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk will be walking to every London Premier League and Football League ground between 3-5 April in memory of Kevin's father Dennis, who passed away from cancer last year.

The group will also hold a charity auction at the Princess of Wales public house in West Ham Lane, Stratford, at 8.30pm on Saturday 22 March following the game.

Among the lots is a 1980 FA Cup final shirt signed by the winning West Ham team and a retro England 1966 FIFA World Cup final shirt signed by hat-trick hero Sir Geoff Hurst.

"We originally planned to hold the auction at the Liverpool game on Saturday 5 April, but the match has been moved for TV coverage," explained Kevin. "For that reason, we have brought the auction forward to tonight as we hope more fans will be able to come down and support a very worthy cause.

"During our walk, we will be stopping at every ground in London, having our photo taken on the pitch and collecting a signed shirt.

"A second auction, where these signed shirts will be sold, will be held at the LP Bar in Bury St Edmunds on Wednesday 30 April."

For more details about the Walk 4 Dennis, please visit www.walk4dennis.co.uk.

General information

• The weather forecast for Saturday's evening clash is cloudy with showers and temperatures around 7C (45F).

• There are planned closures across the London Underground network on the Central, Jubilee, DLR, Northern and Overground lines this weekend. More information can be found here.

• The Greater Anglia service will not run between Thorpe-le-Soken and Clacton-on-Sea this weekend. More travel information from Greater Anglia can be found here.