MOYES ENJOYS HAPPY RETURN
West Ham boss is finally a winner at Old Trafford
MANCHESTER UTD 0
WEST HAM 1 DAVID MOYES finally won against Manchester United – at the ninth time of asking since he was sacked as Old Trafford manager.
And in the process the West Ham boss blocked another route towards a first trophy in charge of United for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Hammers deserved it in a battle of the second strings as Moyes’ men withstood a second-half onslaught to book their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
Victory for Hammers was revenge for Sunday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at the London Stadium, when Mark Noble missed an added-time penalty.
The Carabao Cup was the last domestic trophy United won, under Jose Mourinho in 2017.
Solskjaer will have to wait another year at least to do so. Not even the introduction of Bruno Fernandes and Mason Greenwood could save the tie.
United made 11 changes, with Cristiano Ronaldo not even in the squad – no doubt disappointing a 72,468 crowd.
The first chance fell to the visitors after just two minutes, Andriy Yarmolenko cutting the ball back for Jarrod Bowen, who dragged his shot wide.
Four minutes later, a shot from Alex Kral took a deflection off Eric Bailly, and United were still in disarray at the back two minutes later when Hammers took the lead.
Ryan Fredericks danced past Alex Telles and cut the ball back for Manuel Lanzini to apply a clinical first-time finish.
The goal served to jolt Solskjaer’s side into life, with Jesse Lingard unlucky not to be awarded a penalty after Noble clearly grabbed hold of his shirt and yanked him down as he prepared to shoot.
Moments later, Juan Mata thudded the bar with a ferocious angled strike as United woke up.
Fredericks injured himself in the process, falling down the steep camber on the edge of the pitch, and was replaced byVladimir Coufal.
Lingard tested Alphonse Areola with a low 25-yard strike just before the halfhour, but the West Ham keeper was equal to the task, saving low to his right.
United pushed for an equaliser after the break, Sancho hooking an effort over, while Diogo Dalot lashed a low effort wide.
Greenwood came on for Mata and almost scored with his first touch, Areola saving smartly.
Hammers had two late chances to wrap up the game, Yarmolenko hitting a post and Noble shooting straight at keeper Dean Henderson when clean through.
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Henderson 6; Dalot 6, Lindelof 6, Bailly 6, Telles 4 (Elanga 72); Matic 4, Van de Beek 7; Lingard 7 (Fernandes, 72), Mata 7 (Greenwood 61, 7), Sancho 7; Martial 5. WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Areola 7; Diop 7, Dawson 8, Johnson 7; Fredericks 7 (Coufal 17, 7), Noble 7, Kral 7; Yarmolenko 7, Lanzini 7 (Fornals 68, 6), Masuaku 7 (Vlasic 69, 6); Bowen 8. Goal: Lanzini 9.