Goals from Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford ensured victory.
Manchester United looked to put their midweek disappointment aside this evening with a victory against West Ham. They done exactly that; however it wasn’t as straightforward as they would have wished. They ran out 3-1 winners on a night that could have ended very different.
Manchester United move up to 4th in the Premier League table, having been in 10th up until the 65th minute. West Ham, on the other hand, slip down to 7th.
West Ham opened the scoring through Tomáš Souček in the 38th minute. The Czech Republic international turned poacher as he tapped in from a Declan Rice header. In truth, it was no more than they deserved having dominated much of the first half.
Manchester United talisman Bruno Fernandes could do nothing but watch from the bench in the first half. The Portuguese midfielder suffered a foot injury prior to the match, meaning he wasn’t in suitable condition to start the match.
He did, however, come on in place of Donny van de Beek for the second half with his side trailing 1-0. Edinson Cavani also made way for Marcus Rashford. The aging striker was unable to have the same affect as he did last weekend, leading to his substitution.
Paul Pogba failed to get going in the first half, leading to criticism on social media. He answered his critics in the 65th minute with an accurate strike from well outside the box. The goal was Pogba’s first of the Premier League season in what has been a largely disappointing one for the Frenchman so far.
They completed their comeback just minutes later. This time it was Mason Greenwood who got in on the action. Alex Telles crossed the ball into Greenwood’s feet who took a touch away from the defender before finishing coolly into the bottom corner.
They completed their rout in the 78th minute as Marcus Rashford chipped past Fabianski after receiving a through ball from Juan Mata. He missed a golden opportunity to make it 3-1 just minutes earlier but he made no mistake this time around.
The match finished 3-1 to United after a superb comeback which showed character that had been missing for large periods of the match. The scoreline was perhaps harsh on West Ham, having completely dominated the first half.
All eyes will now be on United’s Champions League fixture against Leipzig on Tuesday. A win for the Red Devils in that fixture would ensure qualification for the knockout stages.
💪 @ManUtd go fourth with a win in London#WHUMUN pic.twitter.com/bmPTsf2XZq
— Premier League (@premierleague) DECEMBER 5, 2020
