West Ham v Man Utd

The Premier League resumes on Saturday lunchtime with West Ham v Man Utd, a key battle affecting both ends of the table. The Hammers are four games unbeaten and have, quite unexpectedly, suddenly become rather resilient. New striker Demba Ba has been little short of a revelation and Thomas Hitzlsperger has made a real difference in midfield alongside the ever-impressive Scott Parker. They even showed defensive grit last time out when they claimed a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Tottenham.

It’s always a big game when Ferguson’s team comes to Upton Park and this will be no exception. United have been just about getting by in spite of their defensive woes that have seen Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans, Rafael and O’Shea all missing in action recently. Yet again, the key bit of team news ahead of the upcoming fixture hinges on the availability of captain Vidic. In midweek he returned to Serbia’s ranks and the Old Trafford side therefore hope he will be fine for Saturday. At this stage, there is no certainty on this, and he is pivotal enough that this affects many potential tips.

The Red Devils are a best price 5/6 to win, with the draw at 11/4 and a surprise home win at 15/4. In United’s last game they showed the one characteristic that has stayed with them through thick and thin - scoring crucial late goals. Berbatov came off the bench to score in the 88th minute, finally breaking Bolton hearts. I can see the game against West Ham being equally competitive and ultimately ending in similar fashion. With that in mind I’m backing Man Utd to win, after the game is level at halftime - a 15/4 shot with bet365.