West Ham United 1-3 Manchester United
As BBC Radio 5 Live commentator John Murray echoed pre-match, there was a celebratory feel about this Premier League game.
It may have started slowly but by the time the London Stadium announcer read out the names of the starting XIs, a smattering of applause had turned to cheers.
West Ham legend Sir Trevor Brooking was interviewed on the side of the pitch and the fans sang a song for him.
Even Manchester United players received acknowledgement when they came out to warm up.
A nice touch given all the fans in the ground were supposedly home supporters as the Premier League had spectators in attendance for the first time in more than nine months.
Highlights of the game
What they saw was a largely unchanged West Ham team as manager David Moyes was forced into one switch from the 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Monday.
With Michail Antonio out with a hamstring problem, he was replaced by Sebastien Haller in attack.
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, under pressure after his side’s 3-1 defeat to Paris St-Germain at Old Trafford on Wednesday, made four changes.
With David De Gea injured, goalkeeper Dean Henderson made his first Premier League start for the club, while Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek and Mason Greenwood came in, the latter at the expense of forward Marcus Rashford, nursing an ongoing shoulder complaint.
The young England talent was among the substitutes, as was the virtual ever-present talisman Bruno Fernandes.
West Ham had already proved a tough nut to crack for United’s city rivals six weeks ago at same venue and were determined to do the same.
In truth, there was little goalmouth action inside the first half hour or so – the closest being a Jarrod Bowen strike which was clearly offside and a Pablo Fornals header into the side-netting.
Bowen was the outstanding player om the pitch in the first half, though, and started the move which ended with Fornals hitting the base of the post.
The home side didn’t have long to wait before breaking the deadlock as Declan Rice flicked on the ball at the near post and Tomas Soucek made sure it crossed the line.
If Haller had not slipped at the vital moment after rounding Henderson, the hosts would have been 2-0 ahead at the break.
Two last-ditch challenges from Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan Bissaka were also required as United finished the opening 45 minutes distinctly second-best.
Something had to give for the visitors and it did as Solskjaer promptly introduced Fernandes and Rashford (for an injured Edinson Cavani). It was to prove an inspired decision.
Initially, the Hammers went closest again to doubling their lead as Bowen came close to converting a Vlad Coufal delivery, yet United were starting to look threatening and both Scott McTominay and Rashford found the side netting.
Anthony Martial joined Cavani on the sidelines as United suffered another injury blow but then came the crucial turning point.
A long clearance downfield from Henderson expertly found the run of Fernandes and, from his pull-back, Pogba showed what he can do when he’s on song by superbly passing the ball into the net from around 25 yards.
As leading goals go, it will make a Premier League 2020 highlights compilation and further begged the question: Why does the talented but inconsistent Frenchman not produce such moments more regularly?
Within three minutes, United were in front as new signing Alex Telles whipped in a low cross which teenager Greenwood controlled before spinning and smashing a low shot beyond the reach of Lukasz Fabianski.
When Rashford then hit the post from another incisive Fernandes ball, the writing was on the wall for the home side.
Indeed, the live Premier League 2020 betting odds were turned on their head when Solskjaer’s side soon scored a third inside 13 minutes as Rashford refused to be denied his goal.
In fact, this time it was a goal involving all three substitutes as Fernandes flicked the ball to Juan Mata who dissected the home defence with a pass from which Rashford finished with aplomb.
Henderson superbly tipped away an Aaron Cresswell free-kick late on and with it, the result was certain. United had their first league victory against the Hammers in East London since a Wayne Rooney wonder goal in 2014 – when Moyes was still in charge of United.
On a night in which fans were back to show football what it’s been missing, Fernandes and Rashford inspired to show United what they had been missing.
Key statistics
United have won more points from losing positions than any other side in Premier League history.
They are also on a club record run of nine successive away league victories. This is the first time since 1985-86 that they have won their opening five away league matches, despite going behind in all those games.
Fernandes created eight chances after coming on at half-time, the most by a player in a single Premier League match with a maximum of 45 minutes played since Jason Koumas v Sunderland in February 2008.
Since the start of last season, Greenwood has scored 20 goals in all competitions, twice as many as any other teenager playing for a Premier League side.
This was only the fourth Premier League fixture between the clubs that West Ham had started the match above United in the table.
The Hammers have opened the scoring in six consecutive league games, their longest run since March 2006.
What’s next?
The relentless list of fixtures continues for many a team, particularly those in Europe.
West Ham are next in action at Leeds next Friday night (December 11) before hosting Crystal Palace on December 16 and then facing London rivals Chelsea five days later.
For United, who face an incredible nine matches in December, there’s a midweek Champions League trip to take on RB Leipzig next before the small matter of the Manchester derby on Dec. 12, which SBOTOP will surely cover extensively.
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