Premier League: West Ham United 2 Man. United 0

Manchester United suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat to West Ham United in Sunday’s Premier League clash.

The Hammers’ goals came courtesy of Andriy Yarmolenko’s superb first-half strike and Aaron Cresswell’s outstanding free-kick in the second period, which ensured the hosts took all three points at the London Stadium.

It was a quiet opening to the encounter with the weather appearing to dampen both sides resolve, quite literally.

It took 15 minutes for the first shot of note, which came courtesy of Nemanja Matic, whose effort from around 25 yards was well held by Lukasz Fabianski.

Soon after, David De Gea held Yarmolenko’s speculative effort, before Marcus Rashford’s dangerous run was snuffed out by the Hammers’ defence.


The Reds were growing into the game and by the 20th minute were certainly the better side, yet failed to create any clear-cut chances. Andreas Pereira’s shot, which deflected well wide for a corner, proved to be one of the better chances of the opening period.

The Hammers then mounted a testing effort when Pablo Fornals found Mark Noble from a free-kick, forcing De Gea to scramble across his goal-line to make the save.

While we had started the game better, West Ham ended the first period on top and made their superiority count just a minute before half-time.

Yarmolenko picked the ball up on the right flank, and fed it to Noble as the Ukrainian continued his run into the box. The Irons skipper found Fornals, who quickly slipped the ball into Yarmolenko who took a touch to compose himself before curling a low shot past a helpless De Gea to ensure Manuel Pellegrini’s men went in one up at the break.

After just three minutes of the second half, Andreas picked the ball up on the right flank and, after darting past Cresswell, fired it across the area for the waiting Juan Mata. Sadly, our no.8 was just a few inches away from turning it home.

Moments later, Yarmolenko produced a testing effort which De Gea clutched to his body.

There was a much more open feel to things in the second half with both sides creating more shooting opportunities. Scott McTominay came close with an effort from a narrow angle and soon after the ball deflected off Sebastien Haller’s knee and went wide.

The Reds were forced into a substitution just after the hour-mark when Rashford went down with an injury and was replaced by Jesse Lingard, who assumed the role of the central striker.

West Ham continued to prove dangerous from wide areas and Felipe Anderson came close from a rare foray down the right flank. His driven strike forced De Gea into a smart save before it was hastily turned away by the United defence.

After 68 minutes Harry Maguire had a great chance to put United on level terms when the ball bounced into his path in the box from a corner, but Fabianski made a good save.

Next it was the hosts who went close, this time via Cresswell’s free-kick which went just over, yet it proved to merely be a dress rehearsal for the left-back.

In the 84th minute, following Ashley Young’s foul on Noble, Cresswell lined up another set piece, which this time nestled in the top corner of the goal to put the game out of United’s reach.

Daniel James did have a late effort which rippled the side netting, but it proved to be the last chance of note on a frustrating afternoon for the Reds.

Teams

West Ham: Fabianski; Fredericks (Zabaleta 80), Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Yarmolenko (Snodgrass 89), Noble (c), Fornals, Anderson (Wilshere 70); Haller.

Subs not used: Roberto, Balbuena, Sanchez, Ajeti.

Goalscorers: Yarmolenko (44), Cresswell (84).

United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Young (c); McTominay, Matic (Fred 71); A.Pereira, Mata (Gomes 81), James; Rashford (Lingard 61).

Subs not used: Romero, Rojo, Tuanzebe, Chong.

Attendance: 59,936