Manchester United 2-1 West Ham United: 5 talking points from the game

Manchester United got back to winning ways with a narrow victory over West Ham United thereby keeping their Champions League hopes alive. Paul Pogba kept his nerve scoring two decisive penalties to get United the all-important three points. It was an uninspired performance by the Red Devils but did just enough to close the gap to 2 points from Chelsea who sit in the fourth position.

With a huge Champions League tie against Barcelona on the horizon, Solskjaer decided to rest a few of his players and will be relieved to see his team get over the line after a shaky display by his side. West Ham were thoroughly impressive and looked to secure a double over United after their success against them earlier in the season. However, luck wasn’t on their side as some errors and debatable decisions cost them the game.

Here let us look at the 5 talking points from the game:

5] The big guns step up:

It wasn’t a vintage performance by no means but United’s star players stepped up to the occasion. After a poor run of performances, Pogba had one of his better displays yesterday and put in a shift defensively and contributed on the attacking front. His short penalty run up without the stutter was a welcome sight for the United faithful.

Meanwhile, David De Gea made amends for his earlier errors when he gave the ball away to Declan Rice for the opener and then made a weak attempt to keep Anderson’s shot out by making some brilliant saves in the second half. He was again instrumental in ensuring United come away with the three points.

Marcus Rashford too made a huge difference when he came on from the bench in the second half and he had some glorious chances to put United ahead before Pogba scored the winning goal. On a day where United weren’t at their best, it’s big name players rose highest to pull United over the line.

4] Unlucky West Ham rue missed chances:

Manuel Pellegrini will feel hard done by the result as his side were dominant over the course of the match. The Hammers had a goal disallowed when Felipe Anderson was deemed to be offside but another look at the cameras showed Dalot playing Anderson onside.

Anderson had scored in the reverse fixture and again looked threatening against a rusty Rojo. He eventually got on the scoresheet when Manuel Lanzini maneuvered space with his trickery before picking out the Brazilian on the back post who squeezed the ball to make it two in two against the Red Devils.

The Hammers were quite aggressive in midfield, winning the second balls and showed great intent to put the makeshift United backline under pressure. They almost snatched three points away from United if not for the heroics of a certain flying Spaniard in goal. Substitute Michelle Antonio who came on ex-United player Hernandez made an instant impact when he made a darting run at the heart of the United defense before smashing the crossbar with a venomous shot.

He came even closer later on when his header from close range was clawed away spectacularly by the elastic man. West Ham created a number of good opportunities but some dubious calls and sub standard finishing meant the London side ended up on the losing side.

3] Concerning lack of possession:

Ole and his team have got their works cut out

United’s worrying form is appalling and they again looked far from their best. United couldn’t break West Ham's stubborn defence in open play and required two penalties to edge past the Hammers. Solksjaer’s side has emerged as a brilliant counter-attacking outfit and are dangerous on the break.

The drive, technical nous, and creativity of Paul Pogba behind the scary pace of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have meant they are lethal when teams are ready to have a go at them which leaves spaces for the aforementioned players to run into. The second goal stemmed up from a similar situation when Pogba sent Martial through on goal which resulted in Fredricks bringing Martial down to give a penalty away.

As the home side, you would expect United to have a greater share of possession but United couldn’t maintain possession in spite of various technicians and quality players in their line up. They have had similar issues against Watford and Wolves, games in which they have struggled to have a sustained period of dominance.

This will be a huge headache for Ole and his team going ahead with his team surrendering possession cheaply and find it harder to keep the ball.

2] Declan Rice impresses on his Old Trafford audition

The highly-rated youngster has been a subject of speculation lately with reports linking him with a summer move to Old Trafford. The eyes were set him before the match with a chance to prove his credentials. It is fair to say that the English youngster passed the test with flying colours by putting in a fantastic performance against his potential suitors.

All of his best attributes were on display today as he shielded the West Ham backline diligently. Rice was quick to sniff danger and positioned himself expertly to thwart attacks. His tackling was strong and looked unfazed against top opposition. It was his interception that led to the opener and was a composed figure alongside the ever-present Mark Noble.

He kept things simple in midfield and made the right decision whenever in possession. Rice has a mature head on his shoulders and based on today’s evidence, West Ham will have to fight tooth and nail to keep their prized possession beyond the summer.

1] What next for Solskjaer's United?

United will need to improve drastically if they want to pull off a remarkable comeback against the mighty Barcelona at Nou Camp. Solskjaer rested Mctominay and Lindelof ahead of the Champions League fixture and most of the United players looked like their heads were in Spain.

Mata was pretty ineffectual throughout the game apart from winning the first penalty while Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard too had quiet games. Fred was the standout figure in midfield and did no harm to his chances of claiming a starting spot against the Catalans. This win will be quite crucial with a difficult run of fixtures coming up against the likes of Everton, Manchester City, and Chelsea which will ultimately decide their Champions League fate.

It will be imperial that United recapture some of that early Solskjaer form after a run of 4 defeats and only 2 wins in 6 games since the PSG game has seen them lose their early momentum. With them entering the business end of the season, Solskjaer will be hoping that his team has an uptown in form and make a strong finish to their turbulent season.

Edited by Emeka Monyei