West Ham United 0-0 Manchester United
Manchester United will finish second in the Premier League, won 24 of their 37 league games, and secured their spot in the Champions League next season. For any other club outside the top six, these results are an impossible accomplishment that can only happen in their dreams.
However, such a result is a disappointment for many of the Red Devils faithful. Betting websites favoured rivals Manchester City all season long despite having a quality roster of players. Jose Mourinho is undeniably upset with the way the season had ended and the manner in which his players played.
Their latest game, an issue-filled draw with West Ham in the bubbly London Stadium, is only to add to his considerably long list of disappointments.
Highlights of the game
It may be hard to find a bright spot in a game that ended in a scoreless draw, but both sides showed enough action that pundits and fans would have something to think about.
While a draw for both parties wasn’t a terrible result, attacks were made throughout the match. From the moment the bubbles flew until the end of the match, the Hammers made sure that they were always in attack mode. Marko Arnautovic was especially active through 90 minutes, making three attempts in traffic in order to at least make David De Gea work.
Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble were vital fixtures in a flexible 3-4-2-1 formation by David Moyes. With Both Pablo Zabaleta and Arthur Masuaku constantly moving up and down the wings, it was up to the two to hold the line and coordinate the entire formation. It is impressive for both men to be able to hold the fort.
While the Hammers defence did experience breakdowns from United’s strong attacks, Adrian played some incredible goalkeeping. He spent most of the first half fending off strikes from players like Jesse Lingard, Alexis Sanchez and Luke Shaw.
The second half was just as action-packed. Sanchez and Lingard had their swipes with the West Ham defence, while Paul Pogba’s scoring efforts were subpar. Meanwhile, Arnautovic continued to be a pest to the point that Chris Smalling held him during a long-ball. Some may call it an uncalled foul, but it only proves just how dangerous he is on the attack.
The game ended on a tense note: an angry Pogba made an unnecessarily physical tackle at Noble, causing the captain to snap and confront the French international. It took the entire team (and several mini-confrontations between other players) before the commotion died down.
Key statistics
The visitors had more time with the ball, holding it for 55% percent of the match. They also had more cracks at Adrian while allowing David De Gea a lot of time to just stand around for most of the game.
However, the more interesting nugget here is that the overall rating of the Hammers is slightly higher compared to the Red Devils. While Manchester’s attack was obviously superior to West Ham’s, David Moyes did enough to make sure the Hammers will be able to keep up.
Another interesting tidbit to see here is Pogba’s somewhat disappointing performance. Alexis Sanchez had fewer touches (80 to Pogba’s 107) and shot attempts (1 to 6) than the Frenchman, but he ended the game with the highest rating. Many of Pogba’s shots didn’t even challenge Adrian at all, and supporters are growing more frustrated over his lack of enthusiasm on the pitch.
Another interesting statistic in the match is how Anthony Martial was unused by Mourinho throughout the game. One would think that Jose would at least try to be aggressive and put his other Frenchman onto the pitch, but it seems that the discord between the two is irreparable.
What’s next?
There’s only one thing certain for Manchester United once the season ends: something has to change. They’re a far cry from their confident selves at the season’s start, and Mourinho will surely make some big changes on the roster.
Fans are worried about the manner of United’s play, and the hierarchy will be hard-pressed to make some changes over the summer. They could be chasing James Rodriguez as the Colombian reportedly wants to go to Old Trafford. There are also plenty of players they could go for if they so wished.
Meanwhile, West Ham will be focusing on continuing their rebuild. Whether they move on forward with or without David Moyes, the Hammers will be looking to secure their spot in the English top flight. Hammers fans are hopeful that the change will be quick and decisive because they cannot likely take another season of constantly worrying about relegation.
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