Jacob Steinberg was at the London Stadium. His report has landed, and here it is! Thanks for reading this MBM. Merry Christmas and a happy new year, everyone.
Erik ten Hag talks to TNT. “We had a solid performance … we were controlling the game … we performed very solid, controlling the game in possession … also we didn’t give chances away … we had to score … we had opportunities … then one moment of switching off, we conceded a goal … we have options … Marcus Rashford can play all positions across the front … when strikers don’t score confidence will decrease, but they have to believe … as a team we have to make the passes in the final third … [the central defensive partnership] played well but you want to have routines and when the routines are not there you concede a goal like we did … when the routines are in, this moment is out.”
David Moyes speaks to TNT Sports. “It was a great win for us … we didn’t do brilliant in the first half but we done a job … as the game went on we got much better … sometimes when you make the change it doesn’t work, but we put Paqueta more like a number nine and he held the ball up brilliantly … they are really talented players and we can move them around … we’ve won 31 games in the calendar year … we’ve won a trophy in the middle of it as well … West Ham aren’t going to win all of our games, we’re not that sort of club … we’re not that team, we’re not ready to do that, but I hope we can build towards it … we’ve just lost the best player in England in the summer … but we’re in a pretty lofty position … if we’d have been knocked out [of the League Cup] by Lincoln in the first round, I’m not sure people would be taking so much about [the midweek selection at Anfield].”
A glum Luke Shaw speaks honestly to TNT. “Just not good enough, really … we have to win games and that’s it … we keep losing games and points and making it very hard for ourselves … especially that second half, not good enough … the first half we controlled the game … if we scored the first goal, maybe the result is different, but we don’t, so we suffered in the second half, and again, it’s not good enough … I don’t feel [West Ham’s tactical changes] disrupted us … the pass was an unbelievable pass and he got a bit of luck with a rebound … the second goal is a mistake but that doesn’t matter, from the start of the second half we were not the same … it’s why I’m here now … it’s tough to think what’s going on … we’re not creating enough and when we do we’re not clinical … it could be a lack of confidence … we have to keep staying positive … we have another big game coming up against Aston Villa … we can’t keep dropping points, we have to win games … we have to stay positive … this is Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and it’s not good enough … we know that … we have to dig deep and look ourselves in the mirror … question ourselves and go from there … no excuses … we’ve had a lot of injuries but a lot of teams have been picking up injuries so we can’t be making excuses … we know it’s not good enough.”
Post-match postbag. “Not a West Ham fan but can I say how much I love the Kudus celebration where he sits on the advertising hoarding. It’s so brilliantly nonchalant, really adds to the vibe of a player who just always seems to have more time than anyone else on the pitch” – Myles Nester Harwood
“What a birthday week Jarrod Bowen is having! First he scores a beauty against Liverpool, and now another against Man United. He must have made one heckuva wish when he blew out the candles on his cake” – Peter Oh
“It’s not just the players’ lack of togetherness but Ten Hag never goes up to his players after the match to show any appreciation like Klopp or Guardiola do. The contrast is almost frightening! Where’s the passion or sense of camaraderie?” – Nigel Moore
Mohammed Kudus is in full Santa mode as he speaks to TNT Sports. “As an attacker, that’s what I’m here to do, to put the ball in the net. But most importantly we’ve got the three points and I’m really happy for the fans because this is the last game before Christmas. It’s a perfect gift for them, and we wish them happy Christmas. They’re going to enjoy it after this! This is a gift from us to them!”
As for his already famous goal celebration? “It doesn’t mean anything! I’m just sitting down to take a deep breath. I’m tired!”
It was a dismal first half, but at least one team came to life during the second period. Lucas Paqueta provided two delicious assists to break down a previously stubborn Manchester United defence. They leapfrog Erik ten Hag’s struggling team in the Premier League standings, and it’s a blue xmas for the Red Devils, who lose for the 13th time this season, and have failed to score for a fourth game in a row, something that’s not happened since 1992.
FULL TIME: West Ham United 2-0 Manchester United
West Ham go above Manchester United in the Premier League table after scoring two fine second-half goals.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 17 | 12 | 33 |
| 6 | West Ham | 18 | 1 | 30 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 17 | 15 | 29 |
| 8 | Man Utd | 18 | -5 | 28 |
| 9 | Brighton | 18 | 3 | 27 |
Updated
90 min +5: On the touchline, Erik ten Hag looks thoroughly miserable.
90 min +4: On TNT Sports, Ally McCoist names Lucas Paqueta as his player of the match. Nobody could quibble with the choice. Two magnificent assists.
Updated
90 min +3: Kudus is replaced by Johnson. He’s showered with applause as well. The West Ham fans en fête now.
90 min +2: For a few seconds, it appears that they could, as there’s some pinball in the West Ham box. Rashford, his back to goal, tees up Pellistri, but the resulting shot is blocked, and then the flag pops up for offside against Reguilon.
90 min: Ward-Prowse orchestrates some keep-ball. The crowd entertain themselves with a few olés. Pellestri gets fed up and bowls Fornals to the floor. Manchester United extremely frustrated. They’ve got six added minutes to suffer. Or can they use them to turn this around dramatically?
89 min: The applause continues to ring around the ground. Amazing what a couple of fine goals can do, huh?
87 min: West Ham make their first change of the afternoon. The opening goalscorer Bowen makes way for Fornals and receives the ovation he deserves. The London Stadium loves him. It’s as though there are 50,000 Jurgen Klopps in the ground.
85 min: Evans clatters into another challenge, and really wants to watch himself here. “Mainoo has been brilliant today,” writes Felix Wood, “and what he needs after that mistake is his captain going up to him and telling him not to worry, but he was left standing alone for thirty seconds. That’s a disgrace for me, Brian. Fernandes or Rashford have to step up there.”
84 min: Manchester United make a double change, replacing Garnacho and Kambwala – the latter having had a very decent debut – with Eriksen and Reguilon.
82 min: Shaw lets Bowen race off the ball with absurd ease. Manchester United haven’t responded at all. “The body language doesn’t look great to me,” says Ally McCoist on TNT Sports.
81 min: Rashford takes a shot in anger. Miles over the bar. Areola has had very little to do this afternoon. Can Manchester United find something? Anything?
80 min: The London Stadium is rocking now. It took a while, but it’s rocking now. Two stunning goals by West Ham. Manchester United are rocking too, but in a very different way.
GOAL! West Ham United 2-0 Manchester United (Kudus 78)
Well this escalated quickly. Mainoo lets a simple pass roll under his boot in the centre circle. Kudus steals the ball. He one-twos with Paqueta, who delivers another glorious assist, rolling a first-time pass down the middle of the park. Kudus takes a touch to the right to see off Evans, before pivoting and whipping a shot into the bottom left. Another fine goal!
Updated
77 min: Bowen crosses from the right. Ward-Prowse battles for the ball at the far post. Pellistri tugs at his shirt. There’s not much in it, but had Ward-Prowse gone down, rather than staying honest, the referee might have had something to think about.
76 min: Evans hooks a leg around Paqueta and brings him down. He’s already on a booking and is fairly lucky the referee’s in a good mood.
75 min: That was such a delicious goal. Bowen started the move by cutting in from the right and feeding Paqueta, who delivered an exquisite return down the channel with the outside of his boot. Bowen got a bit of good fortune in forcing the ball past Onana, who got a hand to the initial shot, but West Ham deserved it for the overall quality of the move. That’s got the London Stadium singing now!
74 min: Manchester United react by replacing Antony with Pellistri. When the match restarts, Paqueta is booked for kicking the ball away after the concession of a garden-variety free kick.
GOAL! West Ham United 1-0 Manchester United (Bowen 72)
“Manchester United look by far the more likely scorers.” Pulitzer, please! Bowen gets on the end of an outside-of-boot shovelled pass down the inside-right channel by Paqueta. Bowen brings the ball down on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box, opens his body, and bundles the ball through Onana and into the corner. Great goal, totally not in keeping with the rest of the match!
Updated
70 min: Shaw crosses low from the left. Garnacho is waiting to run the ball in from close range but Zouma hooks clear. The resulting corner leads to a game of pinball before West Ham eventually clear their lines. A few howls of frustration from the home fans, whose heroes are doing very little of note here. Manchester United look by far the more likely scorers, for what that’s worth with the bar so low.
68 min: Mavropanos goes up for a high ball but only manages to nut the back of Mainoo’s head. A sore one. We pause. We restart.
66 min: Manchester United are seeing more of the ball, but they’re doing very little with it. Fernandes attempts to take the initiative by shooting from distance, but the effort’s best left, really. “It’s genuinely quite distressing to see a talent like Kobbie Mainoo at a club as dysfunctional as this,” begins Tom Atkins. “There’s a real danger his talent could be squandered. Maybe he could go on loan to Brighton or something, like a child being sent to an aunt’s for a bit to protect him while his divorcing parents work through their problems.”
64 min: Shaw crosses low from the left. Mavropanos blocks and Garnacho runs the rebound out for a goal kick. On the touchline, both David Moyes and Erik ten Hag have the good grace to look highly irritated at what’s being served up.
62 min: Nothing much going on, so here’s Ian Copestake: “In keeping with your Spinal Tap theme, we used to hear much about heavy-metal football, but these teams are playing this game in D minor.” This could make people weep instantly, that much is true.
60 min: Antony wriggles down the right and nearly gets the better of Soucek … but not quite. He’s bowled over and frowns in the affronted style. He wants a free kick and probably should get one, but the referee waves play on.
58 min: Blimey, Evans nearly scores a ludicrous own goal, fizzing a back-pass to Onana at warp speed. Onana saves his team-mate’s blushes by trapping the ball balletically and deflecting it away from the bottom-right corner it was heading towards. That would have been quite something.
57 min: Hojlund, who has done very little and is still looking for his first Premier League goal, makes way for Rashford.
56 min: Ward-Prowse sends the corner in from the left. Bowen rises highest and powers a header towards the top left. Onana tips over acrobatically. Nothing comes of the next corner. What a header, and a save to match!
Updated
55 min: Bowen slips a clever pass down the inside-left channel to release Emerson, whose cutback is deflected out for a corner. For the first time in a wee while, the volume at the London Stadium is turned up to 11. One louder.
53 min: Fernandes continues to chunter at the referee, and is told to zip it by his manager Ten Hag. Dalot’s preposterous dismissal at Anfield still fresh in the mind.
52 min: Paqueta cuts in from the left and is tugged back by Wan-Bissaka, who, considering what’s just happened to Fernandes, can consider himself fortunate not to go into the book. Nothing comes of the resulting free kick.
51 min: Fernandes has a sly tug at Kudus, then goes into the book for complaining about the resulting free kick.
50 min: Mainoo spreads a lovely pass wide left to Shaw, but the full-back can’t find Garnacho in the middle. “Maybe this game is a salient lesson to those of us about to go on a last-minute Christmas spending spree,” preaches Declan O’Brien. “Over-paying isn’t always a solution to our problems.”
48 min: … but this is better, and gets a few up off their seats. Bowen drives down the right. Then Paqueta dances in from the left, making enough space for a shot. It’s blocked, but that’s so much better. And Manchester United do their bit, too, Shaw making good down the left and standing one up for Fernandes, who heads harmlessly over. More of this, please!
47 min: It’s very quiet at the London Stadium. Eerie.
West Ham get the second half underway. Hopefully it’s a whole lot better than the first. No changes. “Maybe this is just how Man United play now,” argues Stephen Carr. “Maybe we’re witnessing their rebirth - a sort of reverse ‘Jazz Odyssey’.” Puppet Show later.
This is also great. Irons and Red Devils have nothing on this.
Half-time entertainment. In lieu of in-match entertainment.
Updated
HALF TIME: West Ham United 0-0 Manchester United
Not a classic. “I decorated my kitchen this morning,” reports Malcolm Shuttleworth. “Anyone who wants to come over and watch the paint dry is very welcome.”
45 min +3: Another free kick, this time for Manchester United, out on the right. Fernandes takes. It’s another poor one. West Ham clear their lines.
45 min +2: Ward-Prowse slings a free kick in from the right. Soucek rises at the far stick but can only flap a header wide left.
45 min +1: Paqueta stands on Mainoo’s foot and it’s a free kick out on the right. Fernandes delivers it low and flat, and it doesn’t beat the first man. West Ham counter through Kudus, who dribbles out of play on the right. But the throw’s awarded to West Ham. Evans has his say, and goes into the book for dissent.
45 min: There will be three added minutes.
44 min: McTominay slips a pass wide right for Antony, who delivers a dangerous low cross through the six-yard box. Hojlund can’t connect and Garnacho can only flip the ball into the side netting. The latter batters his fists into the turf in frustration.
43 min: Kudus is booked for a cynical tug on an in-flight Shaw.
42 min: Emerson hoofs upfield and accidentally catches Fernandes on the ankle with his follow-through. A sore one for the Manchester United captain but after a brief pause he’s OK to continue.
40 min: … nowt. To be fair to Paqueta, whose mistake sparked that whole sequence, he’d got back to block that Garnacho effort.
39 min: Paqueta ships possession in the centre circle, and suddenly Garnacho is tearing clear down the left. Mavropanos statuesque. Garnacho’s shot-cum-cross is deflected out for a corner, from which Mainoo shoots through a crowded box. Areola gets down to save, but mishandles and the ball squirts dangerously close to the bottom left. Just wide. That was nearly a costly howler from the keeper. Just a corner, from which …
Updated
37 min: The resulting corner is a waste of time, but that’s better from both teams. Suddenly the game has opened up a little.
36 min: Much better from Kudus here, as he swans away from Antony down the right before sending Bowen into space on the left. Bowen’s low cross, an attempt to return the ball to Kudus in the Manchester United box, is hacked behind by Evans.
35 min: Kudus plays a poor pass infield from the right. Fernandes picks it up and immediately slides Garnacho into space down the left channel. He’s in. He opens his body and … slams a dismal effort straight at Areola. He should have scored.
Updated
34 min: Bowen is skittled out on the left flank. A chance for Ward-Prowse to deliver something into the box … which he does, but the flag goes up for offside. This game isn’t great, but hey, life could be worse, we could be out Christmas shopping.
33 min: Antony tries to oblige, whipping a shot in from the right. It’s aimed towards the top-left corner but easy for Areola.
32 min: Garnacho dribbles hard down the left and makes himself a little bit of space. But his ball into the box is too close to Areola, who snaffles with ease. This game could do with a goal all right.
30 min: Soucek is good to continue, but he’s going to have a proper shiner soon. His cheek already beginning to swell up.
29 min: Soucek is down, having taken a whack in his startled face from his own man Emerson. On comes the trainer with his magic sponge.
27 min: Mainoo shovels a pass down the inside-left channel in the hope of releasing Hojlund. Mavropanos isn’t having any of it and comes across to intercept and clear.
25 min: Emerson works down the left and wins West Ham’s first corner of the game. Ward-Prowse takes. Manchester United clear. Yep, slim pickings.
Updated
24 min: Fernandes does extremely well to keep a long pass in play on the left touchline. But Mavropanos comes across to step into his line and usher the ball out for a goal kick. For a split second Fernandes threatened to open West Ham up. It’s slim pickings so far.
22 min: Ward-Prowse rakes a pass down the right to release Kudus into space. Kudus cuts back to nobody in particular, then the flag goes up for offside anyway.
21 min: Fernandes attempts to release Hojlund down the inside-right channel but the striker can’t control, allowing Zouma to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick.
19 min: Both teams showcase their skills. Fernandes spins away from trouble in the centre circle, bamboozling three opponents at once; Paqueta launches a counter with a back-heel from a tight position on the left flank. Nothing comes of either move, but full marks for artistry.
17 min: West Ham nearly open up Manchester United with a long punt. Ward-Prowse brings it down and tees it up on the edge of the box for Bowen, who drags a poor effort well wide right.
15 min: Coufal goes clattering into Shaw at full speed and comes off second best. After the initial sting of impact subsides, he’s good to continue.
13 min: The set piece is a complete non-event.
12 min: Kudus crosses deep from the right. Paqueta is lurking at the far stick, but Wan-Bissaka reads the danger and clears. Manchester United counter through Garnacho down the left. His cross is blocked by Alvarez but it’s the first corner of the match. Shaw to take.
10 min: Shaw drives down the left and one-twos elegantly with Garnacho. A bit of space to deliver a cross. The ball’s deflected harmlessly into the arms of Areola, but that’s the first flash of quality from the visitors.
9 min: … so having said that, Manchester United establish a modicum of control for the first time in the game. West Ham sitting deep. Not much happening, to be fair.
7 min: West Ham are on the front foot early doors. Manchester United struggling to get any sort of meaningful possession in their opponent’s half of the pitch.
Updated
5 min: Emerson makes a little bit of space down the inside-right channel and takes the first shot in anger, towards the bottom-right corner. Onana makes a comfortable save.
3 min: Otherwise, it’s a fairly scrappy start. Both teams take turns to get an early feel of the ball.
Updated
1 min: An assured first few touches for Kambwala, who sashays down the right wing in smooth Beckenbauerian fashion. That’ll settle the 19-year-old debutant.
Manchester United kick off. Pretty bubbles floating in the air. “There’s honestly not much to get excited about a Man Utd match these days, because they’re actually quite pants in orchestrating a good attacking plan,” writes Karen Asadi. “But Kambawla’s debut today... that’s something to cheer about.”
The teams are out! West Ham wear their famous claret and blue; Manchester United sport their third-choice 1990 FA Cup final retro garb. Speaking of which …
Prepare for two hours of frantic tab toggling. There’s a huge game in the Championship this lunchtime; for the latest news of that top-of-the-table clash, Tom Davies is your man. Let the back and forth commence.
David Moyes takes his turn to chat to TNT. “We chose to change a little in midweek which we’re entitled to do … hopefully today we can get back on course … we’ve been good at the London Stadium … we’re up against a really tough opponent today … we’ll have to play really well … we’ll need to defend really well at times … hopefully we can get a good result for the supporters today.”
Erik ten Hag – who reports that Varane misses out today through illness – speaks to TNT Sports. “Willy Kambwala is calm and made a good impression in training … it is a big moment for him … he is calm on the ball … now he has his opportunity … West Ham will not be as offensive as Liverpool but we have to be better on the ball … at Liverpool we had the two best chances of the game … it starts with better build-up … they can all score goals so it’s for us as a team to prove it … this is a massive week and we can change the story of our season … we have to take the responsibility for our fans who are always behind us … they deserve to see a good team with spirit and get some wins in.”
West Ham make two changes to the starting XI named for the 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend. Alphonse Areola and Konstantinos Mavropanos replace Łukasz Fabiański, who is on the bench, and Nayef Aguerd, who misses out altogether.
Manchester United make three changes to the team selected to start the 0-0 draw at Liverpool. Bruno Fernandes is back from suspension, with Diogo Dalot taking his place on the naughty step. Sofyan Amrabat drops to the bench while Raphael Varane is out altogether; Aaron Wan-Bissaka returns, and 19-year-old Willy Kambwala makes his senior debut in the heart of defence.
The teams
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Mavropanos, Emerson Palmieri, Soucek, Alvarez, Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Lucas Paqueta, Bowen.
Subs: Fabianski, Johnson, Cresswell, Fornals, Ings, Ogbonna, Benrahma, Kehrer, Mubama.
Manchester United: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Kambwala, Evans, Shaw, McTominay, Mainoo, Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Antony, Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Amrabat, Rashford, Eriksen, Reguilon, Pellistri, van de Beek, Mejbri, Bennett.
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).
Preamble
Both of these teams go into this game following a trip to Anfield. Manchester United will be the happier of the two, having frustrated Liverpool last weekend with a staunch defensive display in a dull goalless draw; West Ham however are smarting bad in the wake of the proper chasing they were given on Wednesday evening in a 5-1 League Cup defeat.
But it’s swings and roundabouts. West Ham won this fixture last season, and they’re in decent form: seven wins in their last ten matches in all competitions, though both of the defeats during that sequence saw them ship five goals. Manchester United by contrast have picked up just four points from the last 12 available, and got themselves knocked out of Europe altogether in the meantime.
So you can approach this one from various angles. This upper-mid-table clash kicks off at 12.30pm GMT. It’s on!
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Newcastle | 17 | 15 | 29 |
| 7 | Man Utd | 17 | -3 | 28 |
| 8 | Brighton | 18 | 3 | 27 |
| 9 | West Ham | 17 | -1 | 27 |
| 10 | Chelsea | 17 | 2 | 22 |
