Aaron Wan-Bissaka put in a commanding shift against Manchester United on Thursday night on his second return to Old Trafford since his move to West Ham United in August 2024.
West Ham appeared headed for another damaging setback, trailing 1-0 against Man United at Old Trafford on Thursday night.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s men, however, reached the interval on level terms after producing a solid, well-earned first half.
Man United moved in front after the restart when Diogo Dalot finished neatly at the end of a messy passage of play.
As the match entered its final quarter of an hour, West Ham increased the pressure in search of a response, helped by Man United’s familiar struggles to control matches late on.
Their persistence was rewarded, and Nuno’s players left Old Trafford with a merited share of the points courtesy of Soungoutou Magassa’s maiden Premier League strike.
Returning to his previous club, Wan-Bissaka showed obvious intent to deliver his finest performance. It was close to a flawless performance, as he excelled in both defensive and attacking phases while making several superb last-second interventions to deny his former side.
The 28-year-old was hardly troubled throughout, consistently executing his trademark sliding challenges that hook the ball away, alongside producing a crucial clearance on the goal line to stop Joshua Zirkzee.
Commanding display
His only blemish in the game came in the form of a late caution for a challenge on Mason Mount, with an argument that he might have escaped a second yellow after a tackle involving Patrick Dorgu.
The London-born Congolese international finished the game with a sky-high 11 duels won, made five clearances, three interceptions, three tackles, and four recoveries against United, much to the delight of his manager, who will have a headache replacing him during the African Cup of Nations.
He was also a constant threat for his side going forward, creating two chances and completing 100% of his five attempted dribbles in the game.
Speaking at his post-match conference, Nuno said:
‘Aaron (Wan-Bissaka) played good, our defence was OK. The goal we conceded came from a rebound and was nothing to do with our organisation. The covers were there, and the hard work was there.
‘I think all the defensive line was very, very, very positive.’
West Ham will aim for their first win in four games when they travel to Sussex to face seventh-place Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, 7th December.
