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Ranked sixth in the standings and without a loss in five matches, these are not typically accomplishments that Manchester United would brag about. They have achieved much more in the past, but currently, these may be the crowning achievements of a tumultuous season. It could also serve as a turning point for their struggling coach, Erik ten Hag.
United’s recent victory over West Ham has propelled them to their best position of the season, tying with their biggest win of the campaign. This is a significant achievement as they have only beaten Aston Villa and no other top nine teams so far. Therefore, defeating West Ham is considered a notable accomplishment. Despite facing lower-league teams like Wigan and Newport in the FA Cup and losing leads in three matches, United remains undefeated in 2024 and is gaining momentum.
The most encouraging aspect was that United had players who could continue scoring for them until the 2030s. It was a battle between their future and their past, as their former manager, David Moyes, watched his team fall to Rasmus Hojlund’s goal on his 21st birthday and a double by teenager Alejandro Garnacho. A memorable scene from the match was captured when three young rookies, including Kobbie Mainoo, were seen celebrating together on an advertising board. As the club commemorated the 65th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, it was fitting that the match-winners were young players. Coach Ten Hag’s trust in emerging talent is one of his greatest strengths, and it has paid off in recent weeks.
The previous manager may consider himself unlucky. Moyes has yet to achieve a victory in a league game at Old Trafford as a visiting manager. In the first half, West Ham appeared to have the upper hand, giving hope that Moyes’ wait for a win could be over. However, it now seems even more unlikely that he will ever achieve it. This season, Moyes’ team has a better record against the top six teams than United. They had more attempts at goal at Old Trafford, but were unable to score from any of their 21 shots. Only three of those were on target.
They may come to regret a crucial moment where Emerson Palmieri, taking advantage of an error by Harry Maguire who was brought back into the game, had the opportunity to tie the score but missed his shot wide. In contrast, with the help of a deflection, Garnacho scored a second goal for United.
Rasmus Hojlund scores to give Manchester United the lead against West Ham.
Unfortunately, they also had the bad luck of facing Andre Onana on a day where he was performing exceptionally well. After a disappointing African Cup of Nations performance, where he let in three goals and didn’t make any saves, Onana was replaced by his cousin who plays in a lower division in France. However, on this particular day, Ajax’s top goalkeeper made a fantastic save early on, reacting quickly when Tomas Soucek’s header was deflected by Edson Alvarez. He then went on to deny Ben Johnson’s attempt, preventing West Ham from equalizing.
Onana’s mistakes have weakened United this year, but Ten Hag is now reaping the rewards of having in-form attackers. Hojlund netted his fifth goal in six games, while Garnacho notched his second brace in three home matches. Although Marcus Rashford did not score, his return to Old Trafford after his outings in Belfast went without incident.
United had an energetic presence and posed a danger. Garnacho shone and his leader was impactful and remarkable. Alphonse Areola leapt to his left to prevent Bruno Fernandes’ 25-yard shot from reaching the top corner, but a goal was scored in a stylish manner. One of Moyes’ United players who scored a hat-trick in the Champions League was in the VIP section and it is likely that Robin van Persie appreciated the execution.
It was further confirmation of Hojlund’s potential as he displayed both agility and power in his play. He skillfully maneuvered past Nayef Aguerd with a stylish turn before unleashing a fierce shot that beat Areola. Aguerd was caught off guard and ended up deflecting Garnacho’s shot into the net during the second half. The 19-year-old then scored his second goal of the day with a calculated strike from his non-dominant foot after a run by substitute Scott McTominay. This victory marked United’s first time winning a league game at Old Trafford by more than one goal this season, with a total of three goals scored.
The start of West Ham’s day seemed hopeful, but it quickly took a turn for the worse. Kalvin Phillips was left out of the team after a poor performance in his debut three days prior, and Johnson had to play as a right winger due to some changes. West Ham looked more focused and determined compared to their last match against Bournemouth on Thursday. They showed a lot of determination and purpose in their performance, but they were missing Lucas Paqueta’s passing abilities that helped them defeat United in December.
Ten Hag decided to give Raphael Varane a break and instead started Harry Maguire, who had a lucky break when he lost possession to Emerson. Lisandro Martinez also put up a strong fight before getting injured and having to leave the game. This was the only concern for United, as the rest of the match went exactly as they hoped. Now, the question is whether this victory will be followed by more defeats or if it will be a positive sign for their future games.
Source: independent.co.uk
