Five Talking Points from Manchester United's 3-1 victory over West Ham

The future looks bright for United’s defense

Before the game, Nemanja Vidic was doubtful and most managers, would have played him, even if he wasn’t 100%, particularly considering the opponents that they were facing. But Moyes was bold and gambled on playing Smalling and Evans at center half, and the plan worked to perfection. The young center half pairing showed that, they were more than capable of handling the Hammers physical approach and were brilliant throughout the game. To add to this, Rafael looks like he never left, and if he keeps up his performances, he might very well find himself starting for Brazil in the summer.

Even David De Gea, who wouldn’t have played in this fixture in his opening season, showed signs of maturing nicely. The Spanish goalkeeper was up to the task against the Hammers attack and even managed to catch the crosses coming in from either flank, something he never would have done in the past. The future certainly looks solid, at least as far as the defense is concerned.