MAN UNITED 2, WEST HAM 1
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was refreshingly honest admitting Manchester United were lucky as they returned to winning ways against West Ham.
After a mini crisis of four defeats in the previous five league and cup matches, the Reds needed a win to prevent their campaign unravelling further and remain in the hunt for a top four Champions League place.
They achieved that through two Paul Pogba penalties, but it was an unconvincing performance and the Hammers can count themselves unlucky to leave Old Trafford empty handed.
All the key decisions in the match went against Manuel Pellegrini’s side as the manager disputed the validity of both penalties and was also unhappy with a perfectly good goal his side had disallowed.
Embed from Getty Images“We deserved more and, with technology, may be it would have been a different score,” he said.
Pellegrini pointed out an early goal from Felipe Anderson ought not to have been ruled out as replays clearly showed it was not offside.
He disputed the penalties saying the first one was clearly not one and Anthony Martial was offside in the build up that led to the second one.
Pellegrini could also lament as substitute Michail Antonio struck the crossbar and also forced a save-of-the-season contender from David De Gea.
Solskjaer said: “Sometimes you get more than you deserve and this happened today and also against Watford here.
“But at Wolves and Arsenal we deserved something and got nothing. Hopefully these things even themselves out over the season.
“We were lucky to get away with in. If you would have given me a point at one stage I would have taken it as West Ham were the better side.”
That was reinforced by the stats as United had only 42 per cent of possession at home to the mid-table Hammers.
In addition they had 18 goal attempts to United’s 14 and the corner count was also 11-3 in their favour.
Solskjaer continued: “We got away with it, got three points. In a few years no-one will remember how we played if we finished in the top four.
“(We were) lucky it wasn’t Barcelona, but West Ham played well, played better than us.”
Solskjaer also praised De Gea saying they are lucky to have one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
“He won us the game because at 2-1 we would have struggled to create enough to win the game,” he admitted.
United made four changes from the side that started Wednesday’s Champions League quarter final against Barcelona.
Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo were restored to defence, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Martial further upfield.
Losing out were the suspended Luke Shaw and Ashley Young, Victor Lindelof, Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford.
West Ham had former Reds’ player Javier Hernandez and ex-City favourite Pablo Zabalata in their starting line-up.
United had a let off in the 10th minutes when Felipe Anderson had a goal ruled out for offside, though replays suggested the goal ought to have stood.
Anderson latched on to a head down by Hernandez following a cross from Arthur Masuaku.
United broke the deadlock through a 19th minute penalty from Pogba.
It was awarded for a challenge on Mata by Robert Snodgrass, though replays suggested the Spaniard ran into Snodgrass.
The match remained scrappy and disjointed as United were again unconvincing following their recent poor run of form that had appeared to have sapped confidence.
United’s defence remains frail and after conceding again they have now failed to keep a clean sheet in their last nine league and cup games.
And United haver already conceded 44 goals in the Premier League, their worst total since 45 in the 2001/02 season.
The front players were also devoid of ideas and belief and it was proving not much of a spectacle.
United, who only had 44 per cent possession in the opening half, started the second period poorly as the Hammers drew level in the 49th minute.
A poor thrown out from David De Gea was intercepted by Declan Rice. Manuel Lanzini crossed from the left and Anderson stole in at the far post to convert from three yards.
United were desperately in need of a lift and 10 minutes in Mata was hauled off as Rashford was introduced.
It took Rashford’s arrival to spark life into United – a sad indictment they relied so heavily on one player.
Almost immediately he was put clean through by Chris Smalling but Hammers’ keeper Lukasz Fabianksi made a splendid save.
That was followed by heading over from inside the six-yard box as United briefly threatened.
Solskjaer made his final two changes with 15 minutes left when Lukaku, who had been shunted out to the right wing after Rashford’s arrival, and Rojo were replaced by youngster Mason Greenwood and Andreas Pereira.
It was Hammers’ substitute Antonio who was desperately unlucky not to put his side ahead.
First he crashed a shot from outside the box against the crossbar and then his close-range header forced an unbelievable save from De Gea.
United certainly rode their luck before sealing victory with a second spot kick 10 minutes from time.
Pogba’s through ball was flicked on by Rashford – there were claims he was offside – for Martial to burst through on goal only to be hauled down by substitute Ryan Fredericks.
There was no disputing it was a foul as Pogba again blasted home the spot kick. There was no tip-toe run up as he scored his seventh penalty and 16th goal of the season.
It was also United’s 12 Premier League penalty of the season and no other club have been awarded so many as they scraped home by the skin of their teeth.