West Ham United scripted a memorable win, coming back from behind to beat Manchester United 3-2 in their last match at the Boleyn Ground.
The Hammers drew first blood through a deflected strike from Diafra Sakho and the Hammers could have been three goals up before the end of the half. Such was their dominance.
The second half, however, began on a different note as Anthony Martial scored twice to help Manchester United take the lead. Slaven Bilic’s men though had different plans and were far from done. First Michail Antonio and thenWinston Reid pulled back two late goals in a span of four minutes to help their side snatch all three points and give the West Ham faithful and Upton Park a farewell that they richly deserve.
Here are the player ratings from the game:
West Ham United
Darren Randolph: 5
Darren Randolph was untested for most parts of the game and the keeper had very little to deal with. But the Irishman failed to do his job when the time came. There wasn’t much that he could do when the Hammers conceded their first goal but the keeper was certainly at fault for not saving Martial’s second.
Michail Antonio: 8
The attacking fullback had a great game. Antonio found the back of the net when his side desperately needed a goal. The defender was a constant threat on the right flank as he cut in with great pace and skill, getting the better of Marcos Rojo almost every time. Antonio also managed to deliver some good crosses into the box as well.
Winston Reid: 8
Reid was solid in defense but he certainly lacked pace as Martial went on to score his second. Apart from that, the New Zealander’s headed goal proved to be decisive as West Ham snatched all three points and finished off their tenure at Upton Park with a victory.
Angelo Ogbonna: 8
Ogbonna’s foresight was key to his solid defending all throughout the game. The centre-back did well to contain Marcus Rashford. The Italian also made a set of crucial interceptions in dangerous areas to keep his side in the game.
Aaron Cresswell: 7.5
Cresswell was neat with his distribution and did not hesitate in supporting his team up-front. The full-back was a constant threat on the overlap. He was in fact, the one who initiated the move that led to West Ham’s first goal. The Englishman also made a brilliant clearance in the dying moments to deny Manchester United an equalizer.
Manuel Lanzini: 8.5
Manuel Lanzini was quite active during the first half. He set up the first goal of the game with a brilliant run and a low cross into the box, which was curled in by Sakho albeit via a deflection off of Daley Blind. The Argentine was later substituted for Pedro Obiang towards the end of the game.
Cheikhou Kouyate: 8.5
The midfielder showed an exceptional work-rate, covering every inch of grass between the two boxes. Kouyate won back possession for his side time and again. The Senegalese footballer’s presence gave the opposition players no time on the ball as he closed them down with pace.
Mark Noble: 8
The man is the true embodiment of West Ham United’s spirit and attitude. The skipper showed great strength of character when his side was down, pushing his men even harder. Noble never lost hope and worked extremely hard, directing the flow of play in the opposition’s half.
Dimitri Payet: 8.5
Dimitri Payet bagged two assists to his name on the eve. The Frenchman performed when his team needed him the most. The skillful winger supplied two pin-point deliveries into the box which earned his side two priceless goals. Apart from the one good chance that he made a mess of, it was a dream night for the former-Marseille man.
Diafra Sakho: 8
Diafra Sakho positioned himself extremely well as he got his shot off to score the first goal of the match. He then missed two better chances later on in the game. The Senegalese had a surprisingly quiet second half.
Andy Carroll: 6.5
The striker looked lively in the opening minutes of the game, creating all sorts of trouble for the visiting side’s centre-backs. The delivery into the box from Antonio and Payet couldn’t have been any better either. Yet, Carroll failed to perform. Horrible positioning from Daley Blind put Carroll through on goal with just the keeper to beat. Instead of going for finesse, the former Liverpool forward rifled the ball straight at David De Gea.
Substitutes
James Tomkins: N/A
Tomkins was brought on for Diafra Sakho in the 85th minute. The defender didn’t have a lot of work cut out for him.
Pedro Obiang: N/A
Obiang was brought on with just 6 minutes left on the clock. The Spaniard added a little more stability in midfield.
Enner Valencia: N/A
The Ecuadorian was brought on for Dimitri Payet in the 90th minute.
Manchester United
David De Gea: 7.5
David De Gea showed us why he is Manchester United’s player of the year for the third time in a row. The Spaniard put up a good performance between the sticks and saved from a one-on-one situation against Andy Carroll. Though, his weak attempt to keep out Reid’s header ultimately gave away the goal that turned the game on its head.
Antonio Valencia: 6.5
The winger turned full-back put out a fairly good performance. United have certainly missed him this season. Valencia expanded options in attack for his team while also threatening to cause damage with some penetrating runs.
Chris Smalling: 7
Manchester United’s big man at the back certainly kept Andy Carroll silent for most parts of the game, out-muscling him every now and then. He kept his cool when in possession and kept the defense organized in a tough game.
Daley Blind: 4
Daley Blind was surely one of the worst performers of the evening. The centre-back did very little to win back possession or put up a fight at the back. Poor positioning and lack of alertness from the Dutchman almost led to a second goal for the Hammers in the first half.
Marcos Rojo: 5
The Argentine was tormented time and again by Antonio. Rojo did very little defensively and his distribution wasn’t that great either. The full-back offered very little in attack. Additionally, his poor clearance led to the build-up for the first goal.
Morgan Schneiderlin: 4
Schneiderlin had no positive impact on the game whatsoever. The midfielder was caught out of position, allowing Lanzini to penetrate through the defense and set up the first goal unchallenged. The Frenchman was rightfully subbed off at half time.
Juan Mata: 7
Juan Mata was one of the better performers for the Red Devils on the pitch. The Spaniard showed great skill to dribble past the West Ham defense as he assisted Anthony Martial for Manchester United’s first goal.
Ander Herrera: 5
Herrera couldn’t adjust to the tempo of the game. The Spaniard lacked composure on the ball and often found it difficult to pick out a decent pass. Herrera was substituted late into the second half for Jese Lingard.
Wayne Rooney: 6.5
Even though Rooney took some time to settle into the game, he was quite busy throughout the evening. Playing in a deeper position, the Englishman managed to pick out a few threatening passes. Apart from that, there wasn’t much that Rooney did to pull his side back into the game.
Marcus Rashford: 7
Manchester United’s wonder kid had a surprisingly quiet evening in front of goal. The forward wasn’t much of a threat inside or around the box as he made little or no attempts to take defenders on. He did, however, do a fairly good job trying to orchestrate the play in the final third.
Anthony Martial: 8.5
Anthony Martial was on the scoresheet yet again but this time, he just fell short of helping his side snatch a win from the jaws of defeat. The striker bagged two goals to his name and troubled the West Ham defense with his pace all evening.
Substitutes
Michael Carrick: 7
Carrick was brought on for the underperforming Schneiderlin right after the break. The Englishman provided a stronger spine in midfield, showing great alertness and awareness for the rest of the game. The midfielder was also calm and composed on the ball.
Jese Lingard: N/A
The young winger had very little time to make an impact. He did concede a foul in a dangerous area, though.
Adnan Januzaj: N/A
Januzaj was brought on for Antonio Valencia. But with just three minutes left on the clock, there wasn’t much that the youngster could do.
