Manchester United scored a dramatic equaliser to make it nine games unbeaten and deny West Ham United a precious three points.
Michael Carrick’s men huffed and puffed for long periods against a tough West Ham side setup resolutely by Nuno Espirito Santo.
After Tomas Soucek gave West Ham the lead early in the second half, it felt as though Man Utd’s run would come to an end. But Carrick’s attacking changes eventually paid off as Benjamin Sesko netted the late equaliser.
Although Man Utd did have a goal disallowed for a slight offside, West Ham did well to keep the Red Devils out for the majority of the game. And they had counter-attacking opportunities of their own.
In this article we’ll cover:
Nuno’s compact block
Espirito Santo has a reputation of knowing how to set his teams up in a disciplined manner to block spaces. And that’s exactly what West Ham did for most of the game.
Although Man Utd recycled possession with quick passes, it was often side-to-side. And once Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha or Bruno Fernandes dropped for the ball, they would go backwards.
This was mainly due to West Ham’s 4-1 midfield setup. The Hammers let Man Utd’s defence have the ball, but blocked their passing options to an attacker in space.
Much like their performance at Stamford Brdige giving Chelsea a gave, this wasn’t just old-fashioned park-the-bus, hands-to-the-pump defending. West Ham’s press ensured Man Utd never got comfortable on the ball.
When Amad Diallo had the ball wide, El Hadji Malick Diouf would nip at his heels and put him under pressure. Similarly, if Kobbie Mainoo drove ito space, or Casemiro ventured forward, there would be a West Ham player pressing. And if they didn’t make the tackle, there would be another teammate close by to block out the space.
West Ham were aggressive enough to halve the tempo of Man Utd’s attacks on several occasions, pressing while being compact to deter and annoy the Red Devils. It was difficult for Man Utd to wriggle free and get a yard of space.
Espirito Santo’s plan worked and, but for Carrick’s late gamble paying off, the Hammers would have taken all three points.
Man Utd struggle to up the tempo
Man Utd’s football has markedly improved. The manner in which Carrick’s Man Utd rotate and the confidence at which they zip the ball about is a far cry from the Ruben Amorim days.
However, they struggled with something of an Amorim problem against West Ham. They were unable to break down a stubborn block.
Whenever Cunha drops deep, Man Utd lose his abilities as an attacker up the pitch. And the same goes for Mbeumo. The Cameroonian is good from wide positions but, when games get compact, both he and Cunha both try to be effecting in getting the ball from defence to attack. Both are capable of doing so, but Man Utd then lose their striker instincts up top.
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Whether this becomes a recurring problem under Carrick remains to be seen. But it felt as though Man Utd would only score from a cross or a set-piece as the game went on.
Mainoo was good at driving into space and Man Utd piled bodies forward towards the end. But that was more because the game state dictated it with West Ham inviting pressure.
Carrick’s gamble pays off
While he couldn’t get a coveted fifth win in a row, it’s been a great start to Carrick’s Man Utd tenure. The players looked rejuvenated and Carrick is making the right calls. Where Amorim may have put a centre-back on late when needing a goal, Carrick threw on Sesko and Joshua Zirkzee.
Zirkzee almost scored with a header and Sesko’s excellent finish salvaged a point. Even though not everything came together in attack, Carrick’s bravery and risk-taking to go for it late on worked. Just as it did against Fulham.
In the end, Man Utd will be glad they rescued a point as the game came to life late on. They are still firmly in the hunt for a Champions League place but will learn more about what they need to work on under Carrick in the next few games.
The victories against Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were impressive. But it’s games like West Ham that the Red Devils need to be winning.
For West Ham, Espirito Santo and his players will rue a good performance that didn’t end up with them getting three points. But losing just one of their last five games means there is a chance things are turning around at the right time.