Manchester United clinched second spot on the Premier League table as they were held to a drab 0-0 draw by West Ham United at the London Stadium on Thursday.
The visitors were the dominant of the two sides in the first half, but were constantly kept at bay by Adrian, who was resilient in the West Ham goal. The closest Manchester United came to breaking the deadlock was through Luke Shaw, whose shot was deflected onto the post by the Spaniard.
There was very little quality football on offer after the break, with neither side really threatening much. In fact, the most lively moment of the game came late on when Mark Noble appeared to hit out at Paul Pogba, who had intentionally tripped him a moment ago. Referee Jon Moss booked both players for the incident.
The result saw Manchester United grab the point that now guarantees a first top two finish in five years. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Jose Mourinho’s men after a tame draw that had little to offer.
David De Gea: 7/10
? #PL clean sheet No.18 of the season means @D_DeGea wins his 1st @CadburyUK Golden Glove award ? pic.twitter.com/0vooiAKonE
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 10, 2018
There wasn’t much that De Gea had to do on the night, even when West Ham had extended spells of possession. The Hammers took just two shots on target, both of which turned out to be routine saves for the Spaniard as he cruised towards his 18th clean sheet – the one that gives him his first Golden Glove.
Victor Lindelof: 7/10
Another game at the heart of the Manchester United defence. Another game that saw Lindelof rise in stature and boost his confidence. There was very little troubling the Swede on the night, while he also did some good work on the ball and seems to have done enough to secure a starting berth against Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
Chris Smalling: 5.5/10
The leader of the Manchester United defence produced a rather disappointing performance. Smalling had taken it upon himself to mark Arnautovic on the night, but the Austrian was quite the handful. He had two forgettable moments – one when he botched a simple clearance and the other when he failed to nod the ball on target in a corner on the opposite end.
Phil Jones: 6.5/10
Jones finally looks to have regained fitness and sharpness to keep things tight at the heart of the defence for the entirety of the game. While West Ham rarely troubled, the Englishman read the game really well to absorb whatever little threat that did come his way.
Antonio Valencia: 6/10
The Manchester United captain spent the majority of the game in the final third with Arthur Masuaku rarely threatening on his flank. But while he did find himself in space a number of times, Valencia’s crossing let him down more often than not, something he really has to work on when the pre-season eventually comes about.
Ander Herrera: 6/10
Herrera played as Herrera typically does. Unspectacular, unassuming and tidy – very little went past the diminutive Spaniard – while he also kept things ticking when in possession of the ball. Highly likely to make the starting lineup against Chelsea, wherein he would hope to do an encore against Eden Hazard.
Scott McTominay: 7/10
McTominay looks to be riding high on confidence, and produced a superb outing on Thursday. It was this confidence that perhaps helped him produce the goods in the final third as well, and he was one of the players who came close to scoring during Manchester United’s spell of dominance in the first half.
Paul Pogba: 5/10
Underwhelming from the star Frenchman, who didn’t possess the required urgency on the ball to transition quickly. Pogba created a couple of chances in the first half, but that was as good as it got for him in the entire game. Back to the drawing board for the player.
Luke Shaw: 7/10
Job done on 2nd place, back to OT then eyes on @EmiratesFACup ?? pic.twitter.com/fxAigz3y6g
— Luke Shaw (@LukeShaw23) May 10, 2018
Manchester United fans would have been elated to see his name on the starting lineup, and Shaw justified his selection by producing a purposeful outing. The 22-year-old was seldom beaten at the back, and seemed to have the drive to make something happen in the final third. Came the closest to scoring for his side on the night, with only a sharp save from Adrian denying him.
Jesse Lingard: 7/10
The Manchester United attack bore a toothless look on the night, but most of the threat they produced came about when Lingard was on the ball. Had three shots on target, two of which forced Adrian into making smart saves. The Englishman would fancy his chances of making the lineup in the FA Cup final against Chelsea.
Alexis Sanchez: 6/10
Starting as part of a two-pronged attack for Manchester United, Sanchez hustled a lot on the ball, even coming close to breaking the deadlock before Adrian denied him as well. But, his impact faded as the game wore on, and he will look to be back in an attacking trio by the time the Chelsea game comes about.
