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Manchester United welcomed West Ham to Old Trafford in midst of a minor crisis. United had lost two of their last five games in the league, which saw them slip back to 6th. However, the real cause of worry for Solskjaer was that United had lost 4 of their last 5 games in all competitions.
This was a huge concern for the Norwegian, whose permanent appointment had coincided with a series of defeats. Solskjaer, as such, was desperate to get back to winning ways but West Ham were no pushovers
The Hammers were 11th in the table before the game but had the ability to cause another upset. Solskjaer was aware of this, yet had to rest at least 5 first team players keeping the midweek tie against Barcelona in mind.
He started with De Gea in goal, with Dalot, Jones, Smalling, and Rojo making up a new look back four. Mata joined Pogba and Fred in the midfield, while the front three consisted of Lingard, Lukaku, and Martial.
It was West Ham who started the game stronger and even had the ball in the back of the net, only for it to be incorrectly ruled offside. United were back into the game in the 19th minute when Mata won a penalty and Pogba scored from the spot kick.
In the second half, West Ham scored through Felipe Anderson in the 49th minute and gave his team the upper edge. They threatened to score but United found a way back into the game when Martial won another penalty for United in the 80th minute, which was converted by Pogba. United then held on to win the game.
Despite a disappointing performance, United managed to win the game and for that, Solskjaer has these 5 men to thank.
#5 Fred
The Brazilian impressed against Barcelona and continued in the midfield against West Ham. However, he had Paul Pogba and Mata for the company, which meant things were a bit harder on the day. With two attacking players alongside him, Fred had to be very restrained.
Fred was impressive while in possession, but also pressed well when United lost the ball. He dropped deep to help his defense out and showed pretty good feet at tight spaces. He moved the ball around well, was quite fluid in his positioning and tried to free up his forward players too.
He did give away the ball cheaply in the second half, but the Brazilian gave a pretty decent account of himself and helped United win the game.
#4 Anthony Martial
The Frenchman started from the left and looked vibrant right from the start. However, Martial suffered from lack of balls from the midfield, as United were busy dealing with West Ham. However, every time the ball fell to him, there was a buzz, there was a belief that he could do something. The away team noticed this too and resorted to double teaming against him.
Martial was denied any room to cut back inside and when he did move outside, there weren’t too many targets in the middle to aim his cross at. He also missed Luke Shaw’s presence, as the Englishman was suspended for the game. Rojo did try to team up with the Frenchman but the partnership was not as effective, mainly due to the Argentine’s lack of pace.
However, Martial continued to probe and harass West Ham and ultimately made his mark from a blistering counter-attack. Set free on goal, Martial did very well to win a penalty, which helped United win the game.
#3 David De Gea
The Spaniard failed to keep a clean sheet once again but displayed some pretty good reflexes in the game. De Gea was in part culpable for the West Ham goal when he gave away the ball cheaply, but redeemed himself by the end of the game.
In the first half, with the game still in the balance, Felipe Anderson gave Rojo the slip and charged into the box from the right. He sent in a low ball that fooled the United defense, only for De Gea to clear brilliantly with his leg. But the Spaniard still had a lot more to do.
After West Ham had equalized in the second half, the away team piled on the pressure in search of a winner. United looked battered and bruised, they were vulnerable at the back and that was when Pellegrini decided to bring on Michail Antonio. The Englishman almost immediately made a mark, hitting the upright with a thunderous volley. A few minutes later, he came very close to scoring the winner.
With the game still at 1-1, West Ham sent in a ball and Antonio rose the highest to head the ball. It seemed destined for the back of the net only for De Gea to claw it out, producing an unbelievable save. It kept United in the game and helped them get the win.
#2 Phil Jones
The Englishman was selected ahead of Lindelof, who was rested probably with Barcelona in mind. However, Jones was one of United’s best player on the field and will give Solskjaer some selection dilemma ahead of the midweek tie. The Englishman’s presence helped a new look back four settles down well and helped United stay composed at the back even under intense pressure.
Jones was extremely strong on the ball and rarely allowed West Ham players to bully the defense. His positioning was spot on and his anticipation of West Ham’s movements was extremely accurate.
The Englishman regularly broke up West Ham attacks by intercepting play and denied the forward players any room in the final third. He was also vocal with his communication with Rojo and ensured that the Argentine was always on his toes.
While he was rock solid at the back, Jones also contributed in United’s forward play. He stepped up from the back to break up the opposition play and then unleashed the ball quickly to his forward players. There was nothing much he could do about the goal, but Jones ensured that United did not concede again and helped his team win the game.
#1 Paul Pogba
The Frenchman did not have his best of games and perhaps his positioning was one of the contributing causes. Pogba started as a deep-lying midfielder against West Ham, with Solskjaer opting for Mata in the No. 10 role. In truth, the Norwegian wanted to use Pogba’s presence in the deep to buck up his midfield in absence of Matic and Herrera. And the Frenchman was pretty good in that role.
Pogba started the game slowly, taking time to adjust to the new responsibility. However, he was soon spraying the ball from deep, switching play and initiating counters. He put in a shift too, tracking ball, bullying the West Ham midfield and dominating play. He had a restrained outing but still continued to pick up his forward players with ease. And when United needed him to step up, he did so in style.
To score two goals in a single game is tough enough but to score twice from the spot is perhaps one of the hardest things to do. And that was exactly what Pogba did against West Ham. When Mata won the first penalty, up stepped the Frenchman.
He sent Fabianski the wrong way and gave United the lead. After West Ham equalized, United won another penalty late in the second half, thanks to Martial. Up stepped Pogba again. This time, Fabianski guessed right but there was too much power on the ball for the West Ham goalie.
