No drama and no goals in end-of-season bore draw
West Ham and Manchester United played out a dull goalless draw at the London Stadium – although the result was enough for Jose Mourinho’s side to secure second place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw had a strike turned on to the post in the first half in a game bereft of quality and decent chances.
The point means United will finish as best of the rest behind runaway champions Manchester City, while David Moyes’ Hammers move within two points of the top half with a game remaining.
It was two years to the day since West Ham won this fixture, the last at their old Upton Park home, and the stage could not have been further removed. There were empty seats, a lack of atmosphere and two sides lurching towards the end of fairly disappointing league campaigns.
Mourinho reacted to Friday’s 1-0 defeat at Brighton by making eight changes, introducing a back three and utilising fit-again Alexis Sanchez as his main striker. Marcus
0 West Ham goalkeeper Adrian watches anxiously as a shot by Manchester United’s Paul Pogba (out of picture) goes wide of the target. Rashford, Anthony Martial and Juan Mata were among those who paid the price for a poor showing on the south coast, the trio dropped to the bench here.
The away supporters in attendance paid near-constant tributes to former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, the 76-year-old now out of intensive care having had an operation on a brain haemorrhage over the weekend.
West Ham’s Marko Arnautovic hit an early strike straight at David De Gea before the Austria international could only head over from six yards after Chris Smalling made a mess of clearing Aaron Cresswell’s cross.
United’s first decent chance came at the midway point of the first half and fell the way of Scott Mctominay – but
0 Alexis Sanchez: Main striker. Mourinho’s choice for player of the year could only arrow a shot wide of Adrian’s goal.
Jesse Lingard forced the Spanish goalkeeper into his first save moments later with a drive from a similar position.
The visitors started to take control of the contest, Sanchez drawing another stop from Adrian before the West Ham stopper turned Shaw’s followup strike on to the post.
West Ham reacted, Cresswell firing wide from long range before Joao Mario turned an Arnautovic cross behind from six yards.
Adrian was again on hand to keep out Lingard’s strike on the stroke of half-time as the teams headed in level at the break.
Paul Pogba headed wide as the half wore on without any real drama, Moyes turning to Andy Carroll with 25 minutes remaining after the pair buried the hatchet following a falling out in the aftermath of the defeat by Manchester City.
Mourinho turned to Rashford in an attempt to sway the game in favour of United, who were again below par just over a week before their FA Cup final date with Chelsea.
The game seemed to be petering out before a flareup between the sides as Pogba’s foul on West Ham skipper Mark Noble led to a fracas.
Both players grabbed hold of one another but it was Noble who was arguably the luckier of the pair to only be cautioned following his angry reaction.
That proved to be the final action of note as a poor game deservedly ended with no side able to muster a winning goal. Carlos Carvalhal looks set to leave his position as Swansea manager at the end of the season, it is understood.
The Swans look almost certain to be relegated from the Premier League after a run of eight games without a win, including a defeat by fellow strugglers Southampton on Tuesday night.
The Welsh side need to beat Stoke on Sunday and Saints to lose at home to champions Manchester City, with a ten-goal swing in their favour, in order to stay up.
It is believed that Swansea’s board of directors do not plan to renew Carvalhal’s contract.
Carvalhal’s reign began with a win over Watford and they followed that up with victories over Liverpool, Arsenal, Burnley and West Ham.
But their form has collapsed since then, with the club now looking doomed to the drop.