After an upturn in form West Ham are facing what now looks an extremely difficult midweek trip to Manchester United with real problems building up.
The Hammers delivered an underwhelming performance in a 2-0 defeat to a Liverpool side who are a shadow of their former selves.
Now West Ham go to their arch rivals Man United looking to try and keep their heads above water in the relegation dogfight.
The Irons were fortunate each of their four main rivals for the drop also lost at the weekend as Wolves, Burnley, Leeds and Forest all tasted defeat.
Even just a week ago, a trip to Old Trafford would not have been daunting for West Ham.
Man United trip suddenly more daunting for West Ham
The Hammers had won two and drawn one of their last three prior to the Liverpool loss while Man United lost at home to 10-man Everton.
The fixtures come thick and fast over the festive period, though, and it can often be where Premier League titles and relegations are decided.
Manchester United turned their form around by coming from behind to record a 2-1 win away at Palace on Sunday afternoon.
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Now the Red Devils have the incentive of going into the Premier League’s top four by beating West Ham at home on Thursday night.
Unfortunately for West Ham, as the fixtures ramp up so are the issues for Nuno Espirito Santo.
West Ham United v Brentford - Premier League
Photo by Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
And Man United will be licking their lips at horrendous West Ham team news after the Liverpool defeat.
There is a real triple blow for Nuno ahead of the trip to face Man United.
And it affects arguably his three most gifted and important players.
When Hammers star Crysencio Summerville missed the Bournemouth game last weekend it was a shock omission.
There are always concerns when Summerville is out after he spent eight months sidelined by a serious injury this year.
The flying Dutchman is so important to this Hammers team, especially the way Nuno wants to play.
West Ham’s Holy Trinity troubles for Man United clash
A leading West Ham insider said Summerville’s injury was “minor” when he missed Bournemouth.
But now the rapid winger looks almost certain to miss Man United too.
Hammers News understands West Ham are concerned about the issue given Summerville’s injury issues this year.
The £26m signing from Leeds has not been involved in full training since missing the build-up to the Bournemouth clash.
He was missing for Liverpool and his absence was felt in a lacklustre display with West Ham sorely in need of his pace and dynamism.
Lucas Paqueta sent off during West Ham United v Liverpool - Premier League
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Given the quick turnaround for the Manchester United clash, West Ham will head north on Wednesday, giving Summerville just 48 hours to be available.
Hammers News has been told a club source that the focus is more on getting Summerville available for Sunday’s equally daunting trip to Brighton and that the Man United match comes too soon.
To make matters worse for Nuno – and all the better for Ruben Amorim and the Red Devils – West Ham will also be without Lucas Paqueta at Old Trafford.
The Brazilian struggled to make his mark on the Liverpool game but was still one of West Ham’s better players.
That is not difficult nowadays in a team which has been stripped of its quality as a result of a series of departures over the last two years.
Summerville and Paqueta to miss Man United and Bowen struggling
Paqueta was brainlessly sent off after two yellow cards for dissent in a minute of madness against Liverpool.
The 28-year-old had only just returned from a one-game ban for picking up five bookings.
Now Paqueta will miss the Man United match too, giving West Ham a mountain to climb.
Perhaps most worrying of all, though, for the Hammers ahead of the trip to Manchester is Jarrod Bowen.
The Hammers captain put in arguably his worst ever West Ham performance against Liverpool, nearly six years since joining the club in January 2020.
Bowen has been struggling of late compared to his ridiculously high standards.
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He has been carrying this West Ham team on his back for the last two years and it is starting to show.
Many Hammers fans believe Bowen is either completely exhausted and suffering with extreme fatigue or is playing through injury or pain, so bad was his performance in defeat to Liverpool.
Bowen was nowhere his usual sharp, relentless self and if West Ham had anything like the squad they should have, he would undoubtedly be rested against Man United.
As things stand he may well play through the clear pain or exhaustion he is suffering.
But that could be an even greater risk if Bowen ends up making things worse for himself.
Man United will now be feeling supremely confident of a victory against a threadbare West Ham who will be without Summerville and Paqueta and nursing a suffering Bowen through another difficult match.
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