Soucek sets up West Ham to leave Manchester United struggling in 16th

This was an workout successful however not to usage the archetypal of lone 2 matches to tune-up earlier a large European last from Manchester United.

Ruben Amorim’s squad were pattern-less, pathetic and extremity demoralised with lone Friday’s travel to Chelsea near to erase the representation earlier jetting into Bilbao to look Tottenham successful the Europa League last connected Wednesday week.

When Tomas Soucek’s 26th-minute back-heel bushed Altay Bayindir United sunk to 17th successful the table, an inarguable barometer of however they person fallen nether Amorim. By the interval they were up a berth arsenic Tottenham trailed to Crystal Palace, wherever they stayed, and truthful continental nine football’s second-tier tourney at the San Mames Stadium volition pit foes occupying, to their blushes, the archetypal 2 places supra the driblet zone.

Amorim tin – and astir apt volition – punctual his players that they stay the lone squad unbeaten successful Europe and person to abstracted Premier League woes from this. It is simply a utile constituent yet beyond immoderate happens against Spurs the searing question concerns wherever this Amorim portion heads and whether adjacent adept recruitment successful the summertime tin alteration what is an atrocious squad domestically.

Toward the adjacent Amad Dialla broke and fed Rasmus Højlund whose changeable recovered Alphonse Areola’s midriff. Then, astatine a corner, Harry Maguire, connected arsenic a substitute, roseate and erstwhile much headed astatine Areola, earlier the toothless Højlund forced a astute near-range prevention from the goalkeeper. Here, 2 oregon 3 phases that encapsulated United, whose late-contest rally was arsenic energetic arsenic the fare was antecedently soporific.

West Ham’s Alphonse Areola makes a diving prevention from Manchester United’s Rasmus Højlund. Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images

In blazing sun, some sets of players flitted astir astatine half-speed, swapping possession arsenic if successful the warm-up. When the gait was accrued a fraction, gaps opened, arsenic erstwhile Bruno Fernandes doubly blasted implicit for United, a Maximilian Kilman header missed astatine the different end, and Diallo illustrated his quality.

After teasing the shot astatine Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the right-wingback swooped wrong and, with his stronger left, fto fly: arsenic the assemblage “oohed” Alphonse Areola, West Ham’s goalkeeper, saved.

Due to the Europa League showpiece Amorim shuffled his pack, and though Bayindir’s inclusion for André Onana successful extremity was astir noteworthy, the stand-in could bash zero to forestall the opener. Down the left, Wan-Bissaka recovered Mohammed Kudos, helium fizzed the shot across, and Soucek fashioned a back-flick that deflected disconnected Harry Amass, and United had conceded the opener successful 22 of their 36 Premier game-days, including 11 of the past 16.

For West Ham, showing 3 changes, this was a good opening salvo successful the bid to extremity an eight-game streak with nary win. United, donning a one-off garment showing the logo of wellness injustice foundation (Red) to rise awareness, were disjointed.

At a adjacent Hammers foray, Bayindir rushed guardant to fend disconnected a transportation but Noussair Mazraoui stepped crossed him to blast distant for a corner. Then, twice, Højlund showed wherefore helium draws the ire of a sizable constituency of United enthusiasts.

Jarrod Bowen jumps for joyousness aft scoring West Ham’s 2nd goal. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

A swivel and unload ended with the shot successful the heavens and the No 9 pratfallen. Next, moving connected to a clever Manuel Ugarte spot from midfield, Højlund’s right-booted volley was arsenic powder-puff arsenic United’s league endeavours.

Whatever Amorim told his players astatine the interruption did zero because, successful a Keystone Cops-esque passage, Amass ceded the shot on United’s left, Shaw slipped implicit and seemed incapable to regain his feet, and each were helpless arsenic the remainder of the rearguard were tally ragged, earlier James Ward-Prowse changeable astatine Bayindir.

The crippled worsened for United erstwhile Leny Yoro limped off, and Shaw, sans limp, followed, possibly having felt a twinge. On came Victor Lindelöf and Maguire and the second soon decried Jarred Gillett for not awarding a punishment for an evident garment pull, the referee having antecedently turned down Diallo’s entreaties erstwhile helium went to ground.

Now, what ensued, was the Hammers 2nd arsenic United were shredded. Ugarte dawdled and was pickpocketed, Kudos skinned Maguire, and the shot ended up left, wherever Wan-Bissaka’s rotation to Jarrod Bowen was arsenic creaseless arsenic the captain’s decorativeness into the bare close corner.

At the last whistle the packed travelling conception was jubilant and gleeful and their counterpart, for an umpteenth clip this term, had to chew implicit what they had conscionable witnessed.