Showdown looms as United stumble on
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 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 Mikhail Antonio the chance to fire the Hammers ahead from the spot before Mason Greenwood equalised within six minutes of the resumption.
A draw means West Ham are safe from relegation, having played with the freedom of a team whose superior goal difference on Aston Villa and Watford already made it a near impossibility.
United, on the other hand, 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 take the final spot. On the evidence of recent days, it will be a close call.
‘We have gone out in two semis, so now we’ve got a final and have to embrace it,’ added Solskjaer who returned to his winning line-up with the exception of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who came on for Timothy Fosu-Mensah at half-time.
‘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 in the 51st minute.
Bruno Fernandes had one of his weakest 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 when Brandon Williams crossed for Fosu-Mensah to scuff a shot wide. Williams then cut the ball back for Greenwood whose shot was blocked by Angelo.
Having kept his place after a calamitous performance at Wembley, De Gea had to wait 43 minutes for his first save, holding on to the ball after Harry Maguire and Antonio competed for Ben Johnson’s cross into the box.
But he was picking the ball out of the net in added time at the end of the 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 was aimed straight at Pogba standing a couple of yards inside the box.
It was heading for the French star’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, stroking the ball down the middle with the last kick of the half while De Gea dived to his right.
Having spent much of the first half running into a brick wall, United found a way to unlock the West Ham defence six minutes after the restart. Pogba found Greenwood who twice exchanged passes with Anthony Martial on the edge of the box.
Suddenly, the youngster was through on goal. He controlled the ball fired it inside the post off his left foot with the second.
With that strike, Greenwood emulated George Best, Brian Kidd and Wayne Rooney in scoring 17 goals for the club in a single season as a teenager.
De Gea then justified his manager’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 what happened on Sunday. He showed today he can keep his concentration.’
MAN UTD (4-2-3-1): De Gea 7; FosuMensah 5 (Wan-Bissaka 46) Lindelof 6, Maguire 6, Williams 7; Matic 6, Pogba 6; Greenwood 7, Fernandes 5, Rashford 5 (Ighalo 85); Martial 6. Subs not used: Mata, Lingard, Fred, Dalot, James, Romero, McTominay. Booked: Fosu-Mensah, Rashford, Fernandes.
WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 7; Johnson 6, Diop 6, Ogbonna 7, Cresswell 6 (Masuaku 75); Rice 7, Soucek 6; Bowen 7 (Yarmolenko 90+1), Noble 7, Fornals 6; Antonio 8 (Haller 78). Subs not used: Balbuena, Felipe Anderson, Lanzini, Wilshere, Randolph, Coventry. Booked: Masuaku.
Man of the Match: Mikhail Antonio. Referee: Paul Tierney.