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By Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini stated his side are becoming”more consistent and more solid” after continuing their fine start to the campaign with victory over Manchester United.
Aims from Andriy Yarmolenko and Aaron Cresswell earned the Hammers their second home win against the Red Devils, who lost striker Marcus Rashford with a groin injury.
The result lifts up West Ham to fifth at the table – 12 areas and than at exactly the same stage last season.
“We’ve got higher caliber, but we’re also more consistent and stronger,” said Pellegrini.
“It’s fantastic to win, especially against Manchester United here at home and to keep a clean sheet. We attempted to win from the start.
“We didn’t allow them to make chances and Andriy’s goal was the vital factor to start the match. It was a fantastic objective.”
The scoring opened delivering a low finish past David de Gea after patient play between Felipe Anderson and Mark Noble.
Cresswell sealed all three points to the hosts in the second half with a great free-kick to the top right-hand corner.
Chances were at a premium in a cagey first half in London Stadium from Pablo Fornals’ free-kick the closest either team came earlier the strike of Yarmolenko.
“Maybe we performed too quickly from the first 45 minutes, and this is precisely the reason we lost a lot of balls,” added that the former Manchester City boss. “However, I told the players in half-time that if we defend the way we did in the first half, we were not going to concede a lot of opportunities [in the second half].”
After connecting well with the cross of Andreas Pereira, two seconds should have lobbied to the visitors after the restart but failed to hit the target.
Solskjaer fielded the same team that beat Leicester in their final league match in Old Trafford after making nine changes for the midweek Europa League success over Astana.
Nemanja Matic and Rashford have been the sole survivors from Thursday’s win, with teenage striker Mason Greenwood – the match-winner against the Kazakh side of United – inaccessible because of tonsillitis.
Rashford, who’d gone five games without a goal in open play looked short on confidence throughout, failing to register a single shot before going off injured after the hour mark.
The accident capped a frustrating afternoon for Solskjaer, whose negative looked lethargic, lacklustre and short of ideas in the last third.
Matic’s long lived drive, which was held by Lukas Fabianski, had been the nearest they came at a first half.
The visitors ought to have restored parity when Mata got at the conclusion of Pereira’s delivery and improved marginally from the next, but the veteran midfielder somehow managed to steer the ball wide from point-blank selection.
Harry Maguire went near bringing the visitors flat before West Ham aim, firing straight at Fabianski after the Hammers had failed to clear a corner.
The poor away form of Manchester United is extended by the defeat in their league victory in their journeys came in Crystal Palace on 27.
Pellegrini’s charges were bottom of the table following four matches this season, but the outcome of Sunday lifts these three points over the side at the standings of Solskjaer – a hint of their advancement beneath the Chilean’s stewardship.
The Hammers have now kept four clean sheets in all competitions, whilst fit-again Yarmolenko and summer signing Sebastien Haller have shown promise up front.
Yarmolenko has been a constant menace, breaking the deadlock with a finish that is composed and registering more shots than anybody else in the pitch.
The Ukrainian setup West Ham’s next midway through the second half, however Felipe Anderson – that endured a disappointing afternoon – fired at p Gea by a tight angle.
The match stayed on a knife edge until the 84th minute, when Cresswell – his first goal since April 2018 – secured the points for the home side.
The result moves Pellegrini’s team level on points with third-place Leicester.
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini, talking to BBC Sport:”The global break was important for us since we had all the defenders and worked a lot to be more concentrated, to create better tackles and better moves.
“I think we have to try to beat Bournemouth 1-0 in our next league game and then see what happens. We are not thinking about the future”
Man Utd manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, speaking to BBC Sport:”I’m very frustrated. You’re always disappointed when you lose matches. This was a game that we might have won. Going home tonight we will go through the game. In the moment we’re just all flat.
“Essential moments went . They had some excellent finishes. We simply didn’t have the quality when we had those moments that are big. In the Premier League in case you do not accept them you won’t receive any points. It succeeds in their favour and we just have to accept this.
“I am disappointed we didn’t win today, but aside from that I am being really optimistic. I’ve said many times that there will be highs and lows. We have had some highs along the way, now we just have to accept we got no points and look ahead to next week.”
West Ham traveling to Oxford United in the next round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, 25 September (19:45 BST) before seeing Bournemouth from the Premier League on Saturday, 28 September (15:00 BST).
After hosting Rochdale from the Carabao Cup on Wednesday (20:00 BST), Man Utd welcome Arsenal into Old Trafford in their next league game on Monday 30 September (20:00 BST).
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