MASON SPARES POGBA BLUSHES
Greenwood equals record to save United
THAT’S the problem with momentum. Lose it and you can’t always get it back, as Manchester United discovered at Old Trafford last night.
United didn’t just miss out on a place in the FA Cup final on Sunday when they changed a winning formula and went down to Chelsea.
They lost the rhythm that has built up since the restart, the chance to extend a 19-match unbeaten run and the confidence that could have carried them more convincingly towards a Champions League shootout at Leicester on Sunday.
Instead, they laboured to a draw against West Ham on a night when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer kept faith with goalkeeper David de Gea and discovered another United player who is good with his hands. Unfortunately it was Paul Pogba.
The Frenchman blocked Declan Rice’s shot on the stroke of half-time and conceded a needless penalty. ‘Rubbish and embarrassing,’ was the verdict of TV pundit Gary Neville.
‘It was a natural reaction,’ said Solskjaer. ‘Paul held his hands up knowing he should have taken it in the mush. It came flying at him at 100 miles an hour.’
It gave Michail Antonio the chance to fire the Hammers ahead from the spot before Mason Greenwood equalised within six minutes of the resumption.
In pulling United level, Greenwood emulated George Best, Brian Kidd and Wayne Rooney in scoring 17 goals for the club in a single season as a teenager.
The draw means West Ham are safe from relegation, having played with the freedom of a team whose superior goal difference over Aston Villa and Watford already made the drop a near impossibility.
United moved into the top four with one game to go — and what a game it promises to be.
Win or draw at the King Power Stadium on Sunday and Solskjaer’s side are back in the Champions League. Defeat would see Leicester pip them.
On the evidence of recent days, it is going to be a close call.
Solskjaer returned to his winning line-up with the exception of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who came on for Timothy Fosu-Mensah at halftime. The manager said: ‘Leicester are a good team, very dangerous but we’ll be ready physically and mentally.’
As was the case at Wembley on Sunday, United had enough possession but lacked the penetration of recent weeks until Greenwood made the breakthrough.
Bruno Fernandes had one of his weaker games since arriving in January and Pogba’s most significant contribution was to give away the penalty.
It took United nearly 40 minutes to get behind the Hammers’ defence as Brandon Williams crossed for Fosu-Mensah to scuff an effort wide.
When Williams managed it again shortly afterwards, he cut the ball back for Greenwood whose shot was brilliantly blocked by Angelo Ogbonna.
Having kept his place after a calamitous performance at Wembley, De Gea had to wait 43 minutes for his first save of note, gratefully clutching on to the loose ball after Harry Maguire and Antonio competed for Ben Johnson’s cross into the box.
But the Spaniard was picking the ball out of the net in added time at the end of the first half after Fosu-Mensah was booked for scything down Antonio 25 yards from goal.
The ball was touched to Rice whose blockbuster of a shot flew straight at Pogba, standing a couple of yards inside the box.
It was heading for the Frenchman’s head and he instinctively raised his hands, beating the ball away before pretending it had hit him in the face. Referee Paul Tierney was happy to let VAR make the final call and Peter Bankes’ decision was a penalty. Antonio stepped up to score his eighth goal in six games with the last kick of the half.
Having spent much of the first half running into a brick wall, United found a way to unlock the West Ham defence within six minutes of the restart.
Pogba played the ball into Greenwood who twice exchanged passes with Anthony Martial on the edge of the box as the defenders chased shadows. Suddenly, the youngster was through on goal. He controlled the ball with one touch and despatched it inside the post off his left foot with the second.
De Gea then justified Solskjaer’s faith with an excellent reflex save to turn over Jarrod Bowen’s effort after it had taken a deflection off Williams.
‘I knew he’d be focused,’ said the United boss. ‘Everyone was hurt by Sunday. He showed he can keep his concentration.’
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 6.5; Fosu-Mensah 5 (Wan-Bissaka 46mins, 6) Lindelof 6, Maguire 6.5, Williams 7; Matic 6.5, Pogba 6; Greenwood 7, Fernandes 5, Rashford 5.5 (Ighalo 85); Martial 6.5. Subs not used: Mata, Lingard, Fred, Dalot, James, Romero, McTominay. Booked: Fosu-Mensah, Rashford, Fernandes. Scorer: Greenwood 51. Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 6. WEST HAM UNITED (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 6.5; Johnson 5.5, Diop 6, Ogbonna 7, Cresswell 6 (Masuaku 75, 6); RICE 8, Soucek 6; Bowen 6.5 (Yarmolenko 90), Noble 7, Fornals 6; Antonio 7 (Haller 78). Subs not used: Balbuena, Anderson, Lanzini, Wilshere, Randolph, Coventry. Scorer: Antonio 45+2 (pen). Booked: Masuaku. Manager: David Moyes 7. Referee: Paul Tierney 6.