Tactical analysis: United’s victory over West Ham is all but guaranteed if they adopt these two principles

Manchester United are set to host West Ham United in the Premier League tonight. Coming off an emphatic 2-1 away win at Crystal Palace, Man United will be hoping to build on this positive result with a convincing win this evening. While West Ham are certainly underdogs given their enormous struggles on the pitch this season, Ruben Amorim and his squad cannot afford to take their eye off the ball, particularly in a league as competitive as the Premier League. There are some crucial tactics that United will need to employ in order to secure the kind of win they are expected to. Keep the shots coming In 13 league matches to date, West Ham has conceded 27 goals – the third-worst defensive record in the league. Fortunately, United have the exact kind of attack needed to capitalise on West Ham’s vulnerability. During the Palace game, United went into the half-time break trailing. Despite their frustration, they continued pushing for a goal, taking 14 shots and ultimately netting the two goals they needed in order to secure a valuable three points. While Amorim’s men were unable to find the back of the net in the Everton defeat despite taking 25 shots, this match was an anomaly – the team only failed to score in three matches so far this season. If United continue to launch their high-pressure attacks against West Ham tonight, they should have no problem dismantling the underdogs’ shaky defence. Fill the gap If there’s one area where United are still struggling to tighten up, it’s in defence. United have conceded 20 goals, meaning that they have a goal difference of just one despite enjoying some decent form in recent times. While West Ham have certainly not been strong on the attack this season, one clear-cut opportunity could be all they need to score. Given this issue, it might be time for Amorim to slightly rotate his defensive lineup, given that the likes of Leny Yoro seem to be suffering from inconsistency at present. With Lisandro Martinez fit once again and Noussair Mazraoui and Luke Shaw both proving to be versatile, it might be prudent to give Yoro and the likes of Matthijs de Ligt a rest, given the gruelling number of minutes that both have played. If Amorim inspires his team to attack with the veracity that they normally do while ensuring that his defensive lineup is somewhat fresh and alert, this should be a straightforward win for United in front of the Old Trafford crowd. Featured image Julian Finney via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Mathew Cohen A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.