Manchester United 1-1 West Ham United
On nights like this, it’s difficult to know if a Premier League crowd would relieve or just increase the tension.
Either way, there certainly was a tension as Manchester United hosted West Ham in need of points for a top-four finish and the lucrative carrot of the Champions League.
All but safe following their victory over Watford last week, the Hammers were certainly not travelling north to merely make up the numbers and in ex-United manager David Moyes had someone who, presumably, would have been keen to remind his brief employers of his attributes.
Indeed, the Scot has always felt he was never given long enough to put his stamp on Old Trafford during his 10-month tenure in 2013-14 and said as much before kick-off.
And so began an encounter where both sides had points to prove.
Highlights of the game
United started off eager to make amends from the manner of their FA Cup exit to Chelsea less than 72 hours earlier.
Inside two minutes, Anthony Martial had tested the palms of Lukasz Fabianski, but despite dominating possession, the hosts were not creating chances. The visiting goalkeeper was not fully tested again until nine minutes before the break when a Marcus Rashford effort called him into action.
Amid few first-half Premier League 2020 highlights, then came the decisive moment and, just as on Sunday, it was the worst possible time for the hosts to fall behind.
A Declan Rice shot was blocked by Paul Pogba, but the Frenchman instinctively used his hand to concede a clear penalty. It was as emphatic as the cool finish from Michail Antonio which followed on the stroke of half-time.
It was the in-form man’s eighth goal in six games.
Arguably the most important team talk of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s fledgeling United managerial career awaited (until the next game at least!) and he had to inspire his players to respond.
Within five minutes they were level and it was a goal befitting the Theatre of Dreams as Martial and teenager Mason Greenwood twice swiftly exchanged passes before the 18-year-old rifled a low shot inside the near post for what is starting to become his trademark since the league restarted.
West Ham came again and after substitute Aaron Wan-Bissaka gave the ball away, David De Gea had to be alert to tip away a deflected shot from Jarrod Bowen.
This remained an even contest and all the pressure was on the hosts, while West Ham looked threatening on the counter-attack.
Solskjaer threw on Odion Ighalo for the final few minutes to try and turn the tide in a tired-looking United’s favour but they didn’t manage another chance.
Moyes had made his point, West Ham had theirs. United, almost certainly, need another to avoid a big setback.
Key statistics
Antonio has become the first West Ham player to score in three consecutive league matches since Marko Arnautovic in December 2017.
Antonio has scored eight goals in the Premier League since the restart, the joint-most of any player alongside Raheem Sterling – he had scored just twice this season before the campaign was suspended.
No teenager has ever scored more goals in a single season in all competitions for Manchester United than Greenwood (17 – level with George Best in 1965-66, Brian Kidd in 1967-68 and Wayne Rooney in 2004-05).
He is also the first teenage player to score 10 goals in a season since Romelu Lukaku in 2012-13 (14) and the first English player to do so since Rooney in 2004-05 (11).
United have lost only two of their 24 Premier League home matches against the Hammers (won 19, drawn three). Solskjaer played in both of those defeats.
United are unbeaten in their past 13 Premier League games (won eight drawn five). It’s Solskjaer’s equal-longest league sequence without defeat as United boss.
West Ham have dropped an unrivalled 26 points from winning positions.
Moyes is yet to win a league match at Old Trafford as an away manager in 13 attempts (drawn four, lost nine).
What’s next?
So one league game remains for each club this season and both have implications.
United travel to Leicester for a crucial end-of-season contest, while West Ham sign off their 2019/20 campaign at home to survival-chasing Aston Villa.
The clash at the King Power Stadium is a winner-takes-all clash, whereas United will claim a Champions League spot if the match ends in a draw.
The SBOBET Premier League 2020 betting odds on those encounters will make interesting reading.
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