Christmas Gift: West Ham Celebrates Victory over United

News Desk

Mexico: It’s shaping up to be one of West Ham’s happiest Christmas celebrations following their remarkable victory over Manchester United at the London Stadium. They clinched a crucial win by scoring two goals in just six minutes to secure the triumph.

The opening goal arrived in the 72nd minute as Lucas Paqueta’s pass set up Jarrod Bowen, who found the net for the Hammers. Soon after, Mohammed Kudus capitalized on Kobbie Mainoo’s defensive error, extending West Ham’s lead with a precise shot into the bottom corner.

Manchester United’s struggles continue, having won only one of their last five Premier League matches. Under Erik ten Hag’s management, they’ve faced more losses than victories across all competitions this season. Consequently, West Ham’s triumph catapults them to sixth place in the table, while Manchester United slip to eighth.

Bowen expressed West Ham’s ambition to secure a spot in the top six, emphasizing the highly competitive nature of the top 10 teams this season. Manager David Moyes echoed this sentiment, finding it “amazing” to see his team in the top six at Christmas.

Looking ahead, Manchester United will face Aston Villa on Boxing Day, a team unexpectedly vying for the title. Meanwhile, West Ham’s next challenge is an away game against Arsenal on December 28th.

An Unhappy Christmas for Manchester United

Following Manchester United’s draw against Liverpool at Anfield, a slight lift in spirits was short-lived as a lackluster showing against their former manager’s team revealed concerning statistics.

This season, United has already suffered 13 defeats across all competitions, a tally not seen before Christmas since the 1930–31 campaign, when they finished at the bottom of the top flight with 16 losses. Comparatively, this season’s losses surpass the total defeats from all 62 competitive games in the previous term.

Furthermore, the team has encountered a goal drought, failing to score in their last four matches across all competitions, a situation not witnessed since November 1992 during Alex Ferguson’s tenure.

Individual performances also highlight struggles; Rasmus Hojlund is yet to secure a Premier League goal, while Antony has not contributed to a goal or assist in all 19 appearances this season.

Despite injuries plaguing Ten Hag’s squad, resulting in debuts for academy prospects like 19-year-old defender Willy Kambwala, the limited chances created by the available attacking options pose a significant worry for the Dutch manager.

The team’s reaction to falling behind seemed lackluster, signaling a need for rapid rejuvenation given an upcoming challenge against an in-form Aston Villa.

West Ham Find Way to Win

West Ham has become accustomed to winning despite conceding possession, as seen in recent victories against Arsenal and Tottenham where they had less than 30 percent of the ball.

However, in a lackluster game marked by poor quality from both sides, David Moyes’ team initially found it hard to capitalize on counterattacks. Despite Jarrod Bowen’s impressive header from a corner, necessitating a save from Onana, West Ham struggled to establish their rhythm in the first half.

It was only after Lucas Paqueta’s exceptional play led to Bowen’s goal that West Ham picked up their pace, coinciding with an increase in crowd enthusiasm at the stadium.

Paul Scholes, a former Manchester United and England midfielder, likened Paqueta to Eric Cantona, praising his performance and suggesting that major clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Arsenal would be interested in him.

Mohammed Kudus extended the hosts’ lead with his 10th goal of the season, amplifying Manchester United’s difficulties in staging a comeback.

While fans are urging Moyes to seek a striker in the January transfer market, the combined threat of Bowen, Kudus, and Paqueta, who has assisted West Ham’s last five league goals, suggests the team is poised for another successful season.

The news is published on BBC Sports and it is reproduced report.