Play like we did v Villa and we’ll be fried – Rice

DECLAN RICE has warned West Ham that they need to raise their game against Manchester United tomorrow if they are to keep their remarkable Premier League top-four challenge going.

The Hammers go into the match at the

London Stadium, which will see

2,000 fans back, chasing a fourth straight league win.

But Rice (top, left) admits that

West Ham’s display in the 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Monday night could have been far better.

David Moyes’ team scraped over the line with a Jarrod Bowen goal, and Villa had a late equaliser from Ollie Watkins controversially ruled out for offside.

Hammers skipper Rice admitted: “We know it’s going to be a massive game against

United.

“We know we’ve had some great results against them here in recent times, but we need to go out there and perform much better than we did on Monday if we want to get another result.”

Rice is hoping that the return of fans to the London Stadium will provide the boost that his team need to close the gap on league leaders Tottenham to one point. Hammers are currently fifth, four points off top spot.

“It’s a been a really long time coming,” he said. “We’ve wanted the fans back for so long now, especially in a stadium like this where we have had some special nights. We wish it was a full stadium, especially against a team like United, but that’s obviously not meant to be, so 2,000 is great.”

West Ham have beaten United on each of their last two visits to east London, 2-0 last term and 3-1 the season before.

Rice – a target for Chelsea, where he was a junior until leaving the club for West Ham at the age of 14 – was speaking as he gave his support to ITV’s Good Morning Britain 1 Million Minutes campaign that battles isolation and loneliness during the pandemic.

The England midfielder appeared alongside ‘Any Old Irons’ member Jo Roberts, who has played an important role in the success of the Hammers supporters’ group for fans aged 65 and over.

Rice said of the need to support the vulnerable: “I think it’s massive.

“West Ham is a massive family club and to be able to give back to people like Jo and the Any Old Irons group, especially this year when it’s been really tough for everyone, is really good - and we love doing it.”

For more information about Any OId Irons, call Friends of the Elderly on 0330 332 1110.

SEP 2019 WEST HAM 2 MAN UTD 0