West Ham United 2-0 Manchester United: Hammers too strong for toothless visitors

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By Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini stated his side are becoming”more constant and more solid” after continued their fine start to the campaign with victory over Manchester United.
Goals from Aaron Cresswell along with Andriy Yarmolenko made their second home win against the Red Devils, who dropped striker Marcus Rashford with a groin injury in the second half to the Hammers.
The effect lifts West Ham up to fifth in the table 12 locations and than in exactly the same period last season.
“We have more quality, but we are even more consistent and stronger,” said Pellegrini.
“It is good to win, especially against Manchester United here at home and to keep a clean sheet. We strove to win from the beginning.
“We didn’t permit them to create opportunities and Andriy’s aim was the crucial element to start the match. It turned out to be a fantastic goal.”
The scoring opened sending a minimal end past David de Gea after play involving Mark Noble and Felipe Anderson.
Cresswell sealed all three points to the hosts in the second half with a superb free-kick to the top rated right-hand corner.
Chances were at a premium together with Noble effort, in a cagey first half in London Stadium from Pablo Fornals’ free-kick the closest either team came before Yarmolenko’s strike to a breakthrough.
“Perhaps we performed too quickly in the first 45 minutes, and this explains the reason why we lost so many balls,” added that the former Manchester City boss. “However, I told the players in half-time that if we defend the way we did in the first half, we were not going to concede too many opportunities [in the second half].”
After linking well with the cross of Andreas Pereira two weeks must have lobbied for the visitors after the restart however, failed to reach the target.
Solskjaer fielded the exact same team that beat Leicester in their last league match in Old Trafford after making two changes for its midweek Europa League triumph over Astana.
Rashford and nemanja Matic have been the sole survivors from Thursday’s win, with striker Mason Greenwood – the match-winner from the Kazakh side of United – unavailable due to tonsillitis.
Rashford, who had gone five games without a goal in open play looked short on confidence during, failing to register a single shot before going off injured after the hour mark.
A afternoon was capped by the harm for Solskjaer, whose side seemed lethargic lacklustre and short of ideas in the final third.
Matic’s long-time drive, that was held by Lukas Fabianski, was the nearest they came in a forgettable first half.
The traffic should have restored parity when Mata got on the end of Pereira’s delivery and improved from the next, but the veteran midfielder somehow was able to maneuver the ball wide out of point-blank range.
After the Hammers had failed to clear a corner, harry Maguire went near bringing the traffic flat shooting straight at Fabianski, before West Ham target.
The poor away form of Manchester United is extended by the defeat in his final league victory on their travels came at Crystal Palace on 27 February.
Pellegrini’s prices were underside of the table after four matches this year, but the result of Sunday lifts these three points above the side in the standings of Solskjaer – a hint of their advancement beneath the mid century’s stewardship.
Whilst fit-again Yarmolenko and summer enrolling Sebastien Haller have demonstrated promise up front, the Hammers have kept four clean sheets in all competitions.
Yarmolenko was a constant menace, registering longer shots and breaking the deadlock with a finish that is written.
The Allied almost set up West Ham midway through the second half, however, Felipe Anderson – who suffered a disappointing afternoon – fired straight at p Gea from a tight angle.
The game remained until the 84th minute on a knife edge, when Cresswell’s sublime free-kick – his first goal since April 2018 – sealed the points.
The effect moves Pellegrini’s group level on points using Leicester.
West Ham director Manuel Pellegrini, speaking to BBC Sport:”The worldwide break was significant for us since we had all the defenders and worked much to be concentrated, to create better tackles and better movements.
“I believe we must try to beat Bournemouth 1-0 within our next league match and see what happens. We’re not considering the future”
Man Utd manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, talking to BBC Sport:”I’m very frustrated. You’re always disappointed when you lose matches. This was a match that we might have won. Moving home tonight we will go through the match . In the moment we are just all flat.
“Key moments went against us. They had some wonderful finishes. We just didn’t have the caliber when we had those minutes. At the Premier League if you do not require them you will not receive any points. It tipped in their favor and we have to accept this.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t win now, but aside from that I am being very optimistic. I have said many times that there will be highs and lows. We’ve had some highs on the way, now we only need to accept we got no issues and look ahead to next week”
West Ham traveling to Oxford United in the next round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, 25 September (19:45 BST) before seeing Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, 28 September (15:00 BST).
After hosting Rochdale from the Carabao Cup on Wednesday (20:00 BST), Man Utd welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford in the second league game on Monday 30 September (20:00 BST).
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