Manchester United fall to yet another defeat
Manchester United lost yet another match in the Premier League, as they were defeated 3-1 by a jubilant West Ham. The team news itself was a bit of a surprise as there was no place for Alexis Sanchez, not even on the bench. Also, Jose Mourinho had opted for 4 midfielders with Pogba also featuring in the team, despite all the rumors about their frosty relationship.
West Ham started the match brightly and were immediately rewarded for it, with just 6 minutes on the clock, when Noble released Zabaleta with a wonderful through pass to the byline. Zabaleta then put a low cross into the box, which was neatly finished by Felipe Anderson. After the goal, West Ham continued to be the better side, especially from the right flank, with Zabaleta and Yarmolenko creating all the problems.
Manchester United tried to settle into the match, with Lukaku, Pobga, and Martial all starting to show some quality. The Red Devils had a decent spell in which Young put some very good crosses into the West Ham box, but they were dealt with well by a fantastic West Ham defense. Lukaku finally got across the defender for one of the crosses from Young, but unluckily for him, it hit the outside of the post.
As Machester United's spell of possession came to an end, West Ham doubled their lead as Yarmolenko's shot was deflected by Lindelof and looped over a helpless De Gea.
Manchester United started the second half with much more intensity and desire, but it amounted to nothing. They started to look better when Marcus Rashford was introduced for Lindelof in the 56th minute.
Rashford flicked a Luke Shaw corner into the near post in the 72nd minute to get United back into the game.
West Ham immediately responded though as Noble sent a lovely ball through to Arnautovic, which he finished with composure in the 74th minute. Manchester United's defense had simply switched off at that moment.
As the clock ticked towards the 90th minute, there was no response from United. Credit should also be given to Pellegrini for asking his team to play a high line, which caught Machester United players offside on multiple occasions.
With this wonderful win, West Ham have taken 7 points out of 9 from their last 3 matches in the Premier League, after losing their first four matches. They sit 12th on the table, with other teams below them having one game in hand.
Manchester United meanwhile dropped to 8th place, with 10 points. But there will be serious questions asked of Jose Mourinho about his team selection and tactics. As of now, it seems all is not well at Machester United.