West Ham United 2-0 Manchester United: 5 Men who were poor for the Red Devils

Manchester United travelled to the London Stadium on Sunday knowing that a win could take them to third in the table. The Red Devils had managed two back to back victories in the build-up to the game and were slowly regaining a little bit of their confidence.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men had not won an away game in the Premier League since March of this year and United were desperate to change that record. However, it was never going to be easy against West Ham.

The Hammers had won 2, drawn 2 and lost 1 of their 5 games, just like Manchester United, ahead of the tie. Solskjaer was still missing Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw and Paul Pogba, while Mason Greenwood was also ruled out of the game due to tonsillitis. However, the Norwegian had Daniel James available for selection and that helped him name the same first eleven that won against Leicester City

Manchester United Starting XI: David de Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Ashley Young; Scott McTominay, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata; Daniel James, Marcus Rashford, Andreas Pereira.

Even though the visitors started well, Solskjaer’s men could not gain control of the game and were subsequently punished in the 44th minute, when Andriy Yarmolenko gave his team the lead. The first half ended with the score 1-0 in West Ham United’s favour.

Both teams had chances to score in the second half. West Ham United doubled the score in the 84th minute when Aaron Cresswell scored from a free-kick. The game ended 2-0 in West Ham United’s favour. United succumbed to their second defeat in the Premier League this season and here are 5 men who were poor on the day.

#5 Daniel James

West Ham United v Manchester United - Premier League

The Welshman started in his favoured left forward role but had an off day on the pitch. Daniel James lacked his usual energy on the field and failed to have any significant impact in the game. He looked a yard off the pace as well and failed to cause the opposing defence too many problems with his speed.

James also had a few chances to score in the second half but lacked precision in the final third. Manchester United desperately needed their fiery Welshman against West Ham United, but James failed to turn up and had a day to forget.

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#4 Ashley Young

The Manchester United skipper continued in the left-back role in the absence of Luke Shaw and offered very little at both ends in the game. Ashley Young was caught out of position on quite a few occasions in the game and West Ham made good use of the gaps on United’s left side. While he failed to impress at the back, his performance going forward wasn’t too good either.

Young actually started the game well, but could not sustain the momentum for the entire 90 minutes. The Englishman failed to combine with Daniel James, and offered very little threat in his forward runs.

Because of this, United’s left-wing was non-existent in attack. The Hammers had no trouble dealing with Young in attack and his position in the team could now be jeopardized by Marcos Rojo’s impressive show in the Europa League.

#3 Nemanja Matic

After Fred’s Man of the Match display against Astana in midfield, the Brazilian was expected to start against West Ham alongside Scott McTominay. However, Solskjaer opted to keep him on the bench and started with Nemanja Matic instead, and the Serbian did very little to justify his manager's selection.

Matic was slow in midfield and let the opposition run past him with ease. He was also caught with the ball at his feet and dispossessed quite often by the Hammers midfielders. Matic was slow in closing down the home side whenever United lost the ball and was often guilty of ball watching when he should have been more proactive.

The Serbian was selected to provide a bit of defensive control in midfield, but unfortunately, he cut a sorry figure on the pitch.

#2 Scott McTominay

The Scottish midfielder has generated high hopes with his performances this season, but Scott McTominay looked a totally different player against West Ham United. He lacked the steel that had endeared him to the fans and could not impose himself in the middle of the park. With Nemanja Matic alongside him, the Scottish midfielder was expected to be a little more adventurous on the day. However, he failed to have an impact on the game.

McTominay looked a bit off the pace and his off the ball pressing was also not effective against the Hammers. The Scottish midfielder did not display his usual courage in closing down the opposition and as a result, United lacked steel in the midfield. McTominay’s passing and ball distribution also left a lot to be desired.

#1 Marcus Rashford

The Englishman might have scored the winner against Leicester City, but Marcus Rashford’s performance was drifting downhill since the second game of the season. The United No. 10 had looked increasingly lost on the pitch and his decline in form has been a cause of real concern for the Red Devils. Against Astana, Rashford was guilty of missing a host of chances. And on Sunday, the Englishman continued his recent trend on the pitch.

Rashford failed to stretch the opposition defence and some of his runs and positioning were questionable. His movements hinted his lack of confidence, as did his decisions with the ball at his feet. The Englishman was ineffective once again through the middle, which highlighted how thin United are on central strikers right now. Rashford picked up an injury in the second half and had to be replaced, but even before that, the Englishman was one of the poorest players on the pitch.

Edited by Zaid Khan