"I feel for Manchester United" - West Ham manager David Moyes reacts after defeating the Red Devils 1-0 in PL
West Ham United manager David Moyes has claimed that the unforgiving Premier League scheduling hurt Manchester United on Sunday night (May 7), adding that he feels sorry for them.
Erik Ten Hag’s United fell to a 1-0 defeat at West Ham United’s London Stadium on Sunday night, with Said Benrahma’s 27th-minute strike sealing the win for the hosts.
The result marked United’s second Premier League defeat on the bounce, which has allowed fifth-placed Liverpool to move within one point of them in the standings. The Old Trafford outfit were beaten 1-0 by Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday night (May 4).
After the match, Moyes, who managed the Mancunians in the 2013-14 season, stated that he felt bad as Ten Hag’s side did not get enough rest for Sunday’s game.
David Moyes: "I feel a lot for #mufc. They played Brighton on Thursday, they've had to play here on Sunday night. That two-day recovery... it took the edge out of Manchester United tonight."🚨 David Moyes: "I feel a lot for #mufc. They played Brighton on Thursday, they've had to play here on Sunday night. That two-day recovery... it took the edge out of Manchester United tonight."
He said at a press conference (via UtdPlug):
“I feel a lot for Manchester United. They played Brighton on Thursday, they've had to play here on Sunday night. That two-day recovery... it took the edge out of Manchester United tonight.”
Ten Hag’s men will get enough rest for their next Premier League outing against Wolverhampton Wanderers, who they welcome to Old Trafford on May 13. Another poor result could jeopardize their hopes of returning to the Champions League in the 2023-24 season.
Manchester United lacked ruthlessness against West Ham United
Manchester United enjoyed a whopping 65% possession against West Ham United on Sunday night, but they failed to make their superiority count. Over the course of the game, they attempted 19 shots, with only four of them landing on target.
The visitors came the closest to scoring in the 17th minute. Bruno Fernandes found Marcus Rashford on the left side, and the Englishman cut inside without hesitation. He went for goal with a right-footed early shot, which grazed the outside of the post before smashing against the side-netting.
Rashford came close to finding the back of the net once again in the 77th minute after Marcel Sabitzer put the ball into his path. His shot from the right was pretty powerful, but Lukasz Fabianski had no problem tipping it over the bar.
United’s last chance of the night fell to Anthony Martial in the first minute of stoppage time, but his near-post effort was parried away by the West Ham keeper.