Premier League GW18 - West Ham vs Man United

West Ham vs Man United | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

West Ham and Manchester United faced up for the coveted sixth spot in the Premier League standings in a much-anticipated match at the London Stadium. The stage was set for an exciting match as both teams were aiming for a vital victory.

Starting XI:

WEST HAM (4-2-3-1):

Alphonse Areola; Vladimir Coufal, Kurt Zouma, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Emerson; Tomas Soucek, Edson Alvarez; Mohammed Kudus, James Ward-Prowse, Lucas Paqueta; Jarrod Bowen.

SUBS: Lukasz Fabianski, Thilo Kehrer, Aaron Cresswell, Angelo Ogbonna, Ben Johnson, Pablo Fornals, Divin Mubama, Danny Ings, Said Benrahma.

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1):

Andre Onana; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Willy Kambwala, Jonny Evans, Luke Shaw; Scott McTominay, Kobbie Mainoo; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho; Rasmus Hojlund.

SUBS: Altay Bayindir, Sergio Reguilon, Rhys Bennett, Christian Eriksen, Hannibal Mejbri, Donny van de Beek, Facundo Pellistri, Sofyan Amrabat, Marcus Rashford.

London Stadium | Picture Credits: SportsPro Media

First Half: Goalkeepers Tested, Yet Deadlock Unbroken

West Ham looked dangerous early on, and in the fifth minute, Emerson's volley forced United's Andre Onana to make a quick stop. But in the 35th minute, United's Alejandro Garnacho had the finest chance of the first half when, following a wonderful through pass from Antony, he found himself one-on-one with Alphonse Areola, West Ham's goalkeeper. Sadly, Garnacho was limited to shooting straight at Areola, which kept the score tied.

United had possessed the most of the ball going into halftime but had not been able to take advantage of their opportunities. It became clear that inventiveness and professional finishing were required, which prepared the audience for an engaging second half.

Second Half: The London Stadium Erupts

The pivotal moment occurred in the 72nd minute, which Lucas Paqueta masterfully engineered. Jarrod Bowen was in the six-yard box when Paqueta lofted a lovely through ball to him. Onana stopped Bowen's first attempt, but by pure happenstance, the ball bounced off him and crossed the goal line, erupting in cheers from the London Stadium.

When Mohammed Kudus was freed by Paqueta in the 78th minute due to a distraction committed by Kobbie Mainoo, the celebrations intensified. The latter took advantage of the situation, sprinting out to score a goal past Onana to double West Ham's lead.

West Ham Leaps to Sixth

West Ham outscored their rivals to take sixth place in the Premier League, and their 2-0 victory over Manchester United proved to be crucial. The Hammers' two heroes, Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen, scored three crucial points. After suffering their fourth loss in their previous six games, Erik ten Hag's Manchester United will look to recover when they play Aston Villa on Boxing Day. Two days later, with 16 of the past 21 points at their disposal, David Moyes' team would be up against a formidable Arsenal team. After an exciting match at the London Stadium, West Ham celebrates a major victory when the dust settles. Until we meet again, bye!

A goalless first half as both teams struggled to score | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Bowen broke the deadlock and gave West Ham a 1-0 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Kudus scored a goal and doubled West Ham's lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website