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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: West Ham vs Man United, Premier League

West Ham welcomed Jose Mourinho’s side to the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Hello! And welcome to our minute-by-minute coverage of this afternoon’s Premier League clash between West Ham and Manchester United. It’s been a week to forget for Jose Mourinho’s men between exiting the Carabao Cup at the hands of Derby and the manager stripping Paul Pogba of the vice-captaincy. They will try and steady the ship in London this afternoon, facing a West Ham side which seems to have found it’s grove again following a dismal start to the season which took in four consecutive defeats. Kick-off is coming up at 12.30pm.

West Ham United v Chelsea - Premier League - London Stadium PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

West Ham United v Chelsea - Premier League - London Stadium

West Ham United v Chelsea - Premier League - London Stadium

Let’s get started with the team news…

So, today’s teams will line out as:

West Ham: Fabianski; Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Masuaku; Noble, Rice, Obiang; Yarmolenko, Arnautovic, Felipe Anderson.

Subs: Adrian, Ogbonna, Fredericks, Snodgrass, Diangana, Antonio, Lucas.

Man United: De Gea; Young, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw; Matic; Fellaini, McTominay; Pogba; Lukaku, Martial.

Subs: Grant, Bailly, Darmian, Herrera, Fred, Mata, Rashford.

West Ham United v Manchester United - Premier League - London Stadium EMPICS Sport EMPICS Sport

Paul Pogba has been named to start by Jose Mourinho, however Alexis Sanchez has been dropped entirely. The forward has suffered through a disappointing start to the season and cannot find a way into Man United’s matchday squad today.

With 20 minutes to go before kick-off, how do we see this one fairing? Let us know below!


Poll Results:

West Ham win (222)
Man United win (151)
Draw (100)

KICK-OFF: We’re underway in London for the first half!

A cracking atmosphere at the London Stadium and West Ham are responding with a very positive start. Plenty of possession in the final third as Pellegrini’s side saw look confident and composed.

GOAL! WEST HAM 1-0 MAN UNITED (ANDERSON 6)

GOOOOOOAL! West Ham are ahead after just six minutes and it’s the worst possible start for Jose Mourinho on a day when he really, really needs a win. It’s a sublime finish from Felipe Anderson who executes a brilliant low flick past David de Gea following a subtle cross from Pablo Zabaleta. What a start to this game!

Britain Soccer Premier League Tim Ireland Tim Ireland

Declan Rice is absoutely bossing it out there at the moment. The 19-year-old is commanding play superbly and pulling the strings right from the get-go. Man United really struggling to get on the ball, and already look a bit taken aback by that early goal.

Anthony Martial comes close with a close-range header. The French winger is picked out inside the box by an excellent Ashley Young cross, but his header flies wide… and then he’s flagged for offside.

Mourinho’s men are showing signs of beginning to settle now. Anderson’s early goal seemed to take everyone by surprise, but the game is beginning to settle into a rhythm now as Young and Luke Shaw bomb forward in support of Martial and Romelu Lukaku.

Rice and Mark Noble are doing really well in possession so far. After 20 minutes they have linked up consistently and are each trying their best to spot an opening and feed Marko Arnautovic, who has been a live-wire off the shoulder up against Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling. A menace, really, for the centre backs.

Another chance for Man United, but another offside flag raised by the linesman. Ashley Young has been really excellent so far, and he succeeds in picking out Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian takes a touch and releases a low strike which is blocked, but the effort is in vain as the linesman raises his flag.

Off the post! Lukaku comes close yet again. Young picks out the striker with a cross towards the front post which the Belgian heads towards goal. But it narrowly misses the bottom corner, pinging off the upright and wide. Much better from the visitors.

West Ham United v Manchester United - Premier League - London Stadium Felipe Anderson celebrates scoring his side's first goal. Ian Walton Ian Walton

Lukaku is causing all sorts of problems for Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop. The latter gives the ball away right in front of goal, Lukaku picks up the pieces, but the defender recovers to usher the striker away from danger. Nervous times for West Ham, who just haven’t built on that perfect start which came with Felipe Anderson’s excellent goal 20 minutes ago.

More good work from Mark Noble sees the skipper cross towards the box with the intention of picking out Marko Arnautovic. Chris Smalling does well to read the danger, get there first, and head the ball clear. Good, patient play from the Hammers.

GOAL! WEST HAM 2-0 MAN UNITED (YARMOLENKO 43)

GOOOOOAL!!! West Ham have doubled their advantage and only gone and score again. Andriy Yarmolenko will claim it, but it may very well go down as an own goal. The winger collects possession inside the box before attempting to curl an effort into David de Gea’s top corner. His strike takes a wicked deflection off Victor Lindelof before winding up in the top corner. Incredible scenes.

There will be just one minute of stoppage time to come at the end of the first half.

HALF-TIME: WEST HAM 2-0 MAN UNITED

SECOND-HALF: We’re back underway for another 45 minutes!

An effort from range via the right boot of Mark Noble greets the start of the second half. The midfielder is having a fine game and this time carves out a pocket of space just outside the box. He does well to get his shot off, but it bobbles comfortably straight at David de Gea, who gathers.

West Ham United v Manchester United - Premier League - London Stadium Anthony Martial and West Ham United's Mark Noble battle for the ball. Ian Walton Ian Walton

A good break on the counter from West Ham sees Marko Arnautovic try his luck from just outside the box. He powers a volley goal-bound, but it balloons over the crossbar to some sarcastic cheers.

Another chance falls to Arnautovic as Paul Pogba gives the ball away on the outskirts of his own box. The Austrian sizes up the chance and has a go, but just as his shot seemed likely to test David de Gea, Chris Smalling makes a brilliant block to end the danger.

Substitution for Man United: Marcus Rashford replaces Victor Lindelof.

Now then, Man United with a bit more urgency over the last little while. It’s a front three of Rashford-Lukaku-Martial in the final third and it seems to be working a lot better than it’s predecessor of Lukaku and Martial up top together. Martial dances past a host of challenges before his looping cross has to be cleared off the line.

Half an hour to go, but Jose Mourinho’s men just don’t look up to much here. They are enjoying large spells of possession but a serious lack of urgency is holding them back. West Ham are plodding along and getting chances here and there, but the visitors will need something special to at least claw out a draw here.

West Ham United v Manchester United - Premier League - London Stadium It's been that kind of an afternoon for Jose. Ian Walton Ian Walton

CHANCE! Marouane Fellaini comes within inches of halving the deficit with a fine header. The Belgian rises high inside the box and steers a bullet of an effort goal-bound, but Lukasz Fabianski scrambles low to bat it away off the line. Almost.

It’s an all-out end-to-end encounter now as both sides scramble for the goal which will surely decide the direction of this game — a West Ham win, or a nerve final 20 minutes where the visitors try and snatch a draw. Another opportunity comes the way of Marko Arnautovic, but yet again he does little with it as the move fizzles out. The striker has seen so much of the ball today, but has achieved very little with it.

GOAL! WEST HAM 2-1 MAN UNITED (RASHFORD 71)

GOOOOOAL!!! And there we have it… we are going to have a dramatic final 20 minutes. Marcus Rashford with a brilliant backheel directly from a corner. He halves the deficit and now things get interesting!

GOAL! WEST HAM 3-1 MAN UNITED (ARNAUTOVIC 74)

GOOOOOAL!!! What a game this is, Marko Arnautovic is played clean through on goal and slips a composed finish past David De Gea and into the bottom corner. The striker finally has his breakthrough following a long and arduous display up front today. It’s his fourth goal in six games this season, and West Ham’s two goal cushion is restored! Wow.

Everton v West Ham United - Premier League - Goodison Park Marko Arnautovic has restored West Ham's two goal lead. Peter Byrne Peter Byrne

Substitution for West Ham: Robert Snodgrass replaces Marko Arnautovic.

Five minutes to go and, even though Man United are pushing and pushing here, the fight looks out of them. The West Ham crowd are really starting to enjoy the occasion thanks to their two goal cushion. They can afford to relax as their players try and hang on under a final wave of pressure up top.

There will be four minutes of stoppage time to come at the end of the second half.

FULL-TIME: WEST HAM 3-1 MAN UNITED

That’s all she wrote — West Ham hang on for a memorable 3-1 win. Another difficult day for Man United fans and for Jose Mourinho too, following their League Cup exit at home to Derby earlier this week. It is the club’s third league defeat in seven so far this season, thus equaling the club’s worst start to a Premier League season. Thanks a million for joining us, you can read our full match report here. Cya!

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