Manchester United moved closer to the Champions League positions in the Premier League after registering up a slender 1-0 win over West Ham United on Sunday evening.
Erik ten Hag’s men controlled the first half at Old Trafford yesterday and opened the scoring in the 38th minute after a powerful header from Marcus Rashford, who bagged his 100th goal for the club.
Chances were at a premium for the Old Trafford side after the half-time break and they were made to dig deep for the victory as West Ham increased their attacking intensity in the quest for the equaliser.
David de Gea and Harry Maguire were crucial in United picking up three points but a number of other players also stepped up including Lisandro Martinez, who has been a fantastic recruit for Ten Hag.
The Argentine did not make the best of starts to his United career, but over the past few months, he has been simply excellent. He produced another fantastic display against David Moyes’ side yesterday.
According to SofaScore, the 24-year-old won 100 per cent of his ground duels with 4 blocked shots, 3 clearances, 2 tackles and 1 interception. He misplaced just five out of his 65 passes.
Martinez, who is currently priced at £45 million by Transfermarkt, has been United’s signing of the season by a long stretch. Other arrivals have also contributed but he has been a clear stand-out thus far.
United’s fifth successive league win over West Ham has seen them jump into the fifth spot on the table ahead of rivals Chelsea. They are just one point behind fourth-placed Newcastle, having played a game less.
The club have another four games before the World Cup break. They will be in Europa League action at Real Sociedad on Thursday evening. They need to win by a margin of 2 goals to top their group.
