Two Ten Hag men were “on fire” in Man Utd’s “undeserved” victory at West Ham, according to the star of the Hammers
By Maria Mark
Michail Antonio, a striker for West Ham, thought Manchester United’s victory over the Hammers on Sunday was unfair but applauded two of the team’s “on fire” players for their efforts.
At Old Trafford, Marcus Rashford’s 100th goal for United separated the teams. The Red Devils, still on the rise under Erik ten Hag, suffered their seventh loss of the season, while the London club lost.
Despite dominating for the majority of the game, United came under siege in the closing minutes as West Ham sought an equaliser.
Despite dominating for the majority of the game, United came under siege in the closing minutes as West Ham sought an equaliser.
De Gea made some outstanding saves to deny Antonio, Declan Rice, and Kurt Zouma, and Maguire stopped a shot from Jarrod Bowen that was heading for the goal.
De Gea, who has started each of United’s 12 Premier League games this season, particularly pleased Antonio. While Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof were absent, Maguire also performed admirably.
It was a very frustrating game for us, Antonio stated in a BBC MOTD2 interview. Without a doubt, we believed that we earned something from it. “That’s football, though. We had so many chances, but Harry Maguire put his life on the line and David de Gea was playing fantastic.” After Varane’s injury, Maguire returned, and he performed admirably. We can learn from this, but we’re definitely disappointed because we could have gained something from the game. It was just one of those days for us where we couldn’t find the back of the net.
When asked about the long-range effort by Rice that De Gea blocked during United’s triumph, Antonio added: “I was so close to enjoying myself. He was just on fire, and he has cat-like reflexes, so I can’t believe he made it there.”
Hammers manager David Moyes also praised De Gea highly, adding: “We all recognise David de Gea’s skill as a goalkeeper, and he was excellent.
“The two who he ultimately saved were worldies. He’s a fantastic man, so I’m glad to see him in good shape.”
Ten Hag, on the other hand, praised United’s “spirit” for holding West Ham at bay and securing the victory.
Added the Red Devils’ manager: “This team has a positive mentality and competitive spirit. You can see that after a mediocre start to the season, things have greatly improved.
“We must continue that process. The supporters enjoy it. You can see a relationship forming between the fans and the team, and that is wonderful.”