'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Manchester United reclaimed second place in the 2020-21 Premier League table as an unfortunate Craig Dawson own goal saw the hosts register a narrow 1-0 win over fifth-placed West Ham United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The home side took control of the first half after a slow start, enjoying the better chances, only to see their efforts thwarted by a dogged and determined West Ham backline.
However, they did not let the intensity of their attacks drop and were rewarded for their efforts early in the second half when Dawson headed a Bruno Fernandes corner into his own net.
Manchester United had several opportunities to extend their lead and put the tie beyond the reach of their opposition. But poor finishing and West Ham’s robust defending ensured that their advantage remained a slender one.
Trending
However, with the Hammers offering little threat in the final third, the Manchester United defence was able to see out the win with relative ease, registering another clean sheet in the process.
On that note, here are five major talking points from the game.
#1 David Moyes still awaits his first win at Manchester United as a visiting manager
It seems like a long time ago that David Moyes was unveiled as the new Manchester United manager, taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson and starting a new era in the club’s history.
However, Moyes’ time at Old Trafford did not go according to plan, as the Scotsman swiftly moved on before enduring frustratingly short spells at a few other clubs.
While Moyes has gone a long way towards rebuilding his reputation in his second spell at West Ham, he is still to banish the demons of Old Trafford once and for all. That's because, as a visiting manager. he remains winless at his former stomping ground.
This latest defeat at Manchester United was Moyes’ 11th loss to go along with four draws, as the Scotsman’s search for the winning formula at his former home rolls on to another season.
#2 Manchester United are lacking a prolific striker in their ranks
After a breakthrough season when he lead the line for United and scored 23 goals and provided 12 assists, Anthony Martial would have hoped to kick on and improve this season.
With Marcus Rashford having a similarly productive season, Mason Greenwood also among the goals, and the talismanic Bruno Fernandes beginning his first full season with the Red Devils, the Manchester United faithful would have hoped to be scoring heavily this campaign.
However, only Fernandes seems to have kept last season’s form going while his fellow attackers have struggled to keep up, resulting in Solskjaer’s men lacking sharpness in front of goal this season.
While the addition of Edinson Cavani has made up for some of the drop in goals, the lack of a guaranteed goal-scorer at Manchester United has become increasingly apparent as the season has progressed.
Even against West Ham, the Red Devils created but also subsequently passed up a number of presentable opportunities. They ultimately had to rely on an opposition player to score into his own net to break the deadlock.
After recently restructuring their hierarchy regarding player acquisition and negotiations, it remains to be seen how high a bonafide goalscorer ranks on the summer shopping list of Manchester United’s newly-appointed Director of Football.
#3 West Ham miss the pace and ingenuity of Jesse Lingard
There has been a number of players that have represented both Manchester United and West Ham United over the years. Jesse Lingard became the latest to join that list earlier in the season.
After falling out of favour at Manchester United in recent times, Lingard seems to have found a new lease of life in London, hitting the ground running since making a loan move to the Hammers in January.
With four goals and two assists in six Premier League games for his new side, Lingard has added a new dimension to the West Ham attack, something they sorely missed in this encounter, as he was unable to face his parent club.
Lingard’s absence meant that Michail Antonio was left ploughing a lone furrow up top, with Jarrod Bowen deployed in an unfamiliar role assisting Antonio through the middle, instead of his usual position out wide.
Lingard’s positive influence on the Hammers is increasing with every game, even when he isn’t on the field. So David Moyes and West Ham would be grateful to have the on-loan Red Devil player in their starting lineup in the remainder of the season.
#4 Injuries are starting to affect both teams
Both Manchester United and West Ham United went into this game missing a lot of their regular starters as injuries are starting to accumulate towards the end of this compressed season.
While the Red Devils were missing the likes of Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek, Edinson Cavani and Juan Mata, the Hammers were without the services of Angelo Ogbonna and Pablo Fornals, among others.
As a result, both teams were forced to name weakened benches, comprising not only a number of academy players, but also one fewer option off the bench in West Ham’s case.
Incredibly, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did not make a single substitution in this game, finishing the tie with the same eleven that started it as the two sides played out a tentative affair.
Unfortunately for Solskjaer’s men, there is still a Europa League tie against AC Milan followed by an FA Cup quarter-final against Leicester City to contend with this week before the upcoming international break offers some respite.
However. the Hammers have a more relaxed schedule with no midweek commitments and no cup tie either, after they were knocked out in the previous round by the Red Devils themselves.
#5 Manchester United are the best of the rest, but West Ham are firmly in the Champions League race too
While Manchester United went into this game looking to reclaim second place in the Premier League table, West Ham could have gone level on points with 4th-placed Chelsea with a win at Old Trafford.
Unlikely contenders in the race for European football next season, David Moyes’ men would have been buoyed by the fact that 6th-placed Tottenham Hotspur and 7th-placed Everton had lost ahead of game tie with the Red Devils.
However, despite suffering a narrow defeat, the Hammers are still in the race for European football, as they not only have a game in hand over Chelsea but also have to face their London rivals once more this season.
As for Manchester United, the win not only keeps their slim title hopes alive, it also provides them a crucial buffer from the rest of the chasing pack in terms of the top-four standings as Champions League football remains the bare minimum for Solskjaer’s men next season.
With less than ten games left to play, every dropped point could prove crucial in what is shaping up to be one of the most closely-contested run-ins for European football in recent memory.
