Man United crush West Ham, climb into sixth place
Manchester — Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho netted twice after Rasmus Hojlund scored on his 21st birthday as the Old Trafford side beat West Ham United 3-0 to climb above the visitors into sixth place in the Premier League on Sunday.
On the heels of a 4-3 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday, Erik ten Hag’s team now have 38 points after 23 games, eight adrift of fourth spot. The Hammers are seventh with 36. “The future for Manchester United is very bright,” Ten Hag told Sky Sports. “We have some real high potential, we can play fluid football, speed it up as we need and defend well.
“The goals today showed young players with high potential. Every game they are growing and improving and adapting to a higher level. When they enjoy their football the confidence comes and you can see the belief is growing.”
Hojlund scored in the 23rd minute when Casemiro prodded the ball forward after West Ham failed to clear a high ball. The Dane knocked the ball past a couple of defenders before firing home from the centre of the box into the bottom corner. “It was very good. It’s always special to play on your birthday, but today of course with the win, yeah,” Hojlund said.
Hojlund became the youngest player in the Old Trafford team’s history to score in four consecutive Premier League appearances.
Garnacho, 19, doubled the lead in the 49th after his shot from the corner of the box took a big deflection to send substitute goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski the wrong way.
The Argentinian netted his second in the 84th after Kalvin Phillips lost the ball and Scott McTominay pounced, finding Garnacho in the box.
Ten Hag’s team have scored 11 goals in their past three games
— including a 4-2 win at Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round — after 10 goals in their previous 10 games.
A hat-trick from Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha again exposed Chelsea’s defensive frailties as the visitors came from behind to record a 42 win at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea, who lost 4-1 at Liverpool in midweek, went ahead in the 20th minute through Cole Palmer. Two minutes later Joao
Gomes found Brazilian compatriot Cunha whose shot took a deflection off Chelsea defender Thiago Silva. Wolves’ second just before halftime hit Axel Disasi and was given as an own goal with Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic wrong-footed.
Cunha made it 3-1 midway through the second half, after Pedro Neto caught Chelsea on the break, and scored his third from the spot in the 82nd after being brought down by defender Malo Gusto.
Brazilian Silva scored a consolation header with four minutes of normal time left, but by then many home supporters were leaving the stadium.
A great Callum Hudson-Odoi strike earned struggling Nottingham Forest a welcome point in a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth. Former Chelsea forward Hudson-Odoi scored with a curling shot from outside the box.
Arsenal beat Liverpool 3-1 to blow the title race wide open and move within two points of leaders Liverpool. Gunners deserved the points though they would not have expected a helping hand from an awful defensive mix-up between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson which allowed Gabriel Martinelli to restore their lead in the 67th minute.