Manchester United 0 - West Ham 0: Hammers miss golden chance to sink dull Red Devils



Martial missed a great chance to win the game



MANCHESTER UNITED missed the chance to leapfrog rivals City as they ground out another dull draw with West Ham at Old Trafford.

 

The Red Devils had nearly 20 shots on goal, but managed only one on target, while West Ham in truth should have won the game.

Mauro Zarate spurned a terrific second-half chance, while Anthony Martial and Marouane Fellaini both could have won it late on as United started to find some limited attacking rhythm, but it had been a difficult afternoon for their forward line once again.

Louis van Gaal had made three changes to the side that drew with Leicester, with Morgan Schneiderlin, Jesse Lingard, and Fellaini all coming into the side.

Without captain Wayne Rooney because of an ankle injury, United struggled once again to create clear-cut chances in the first half, while West Ham made plenty of running at Old Trafford.

Missing a striker of their own after Diafra Sakho was ruled out earlier in the week, Andy Carroll led the line with typical physicality.

And the Hammers nearly took the lead midway through the half, hitting the woodwork twice, first when the ball cannoned into Mauro Zarate and onto the near post, before Winston Reid headed the ball onto the crossbar.

Things were certainly happening in twos, as West Ham found themselves calling for red cards for Bastien Schweinsteiger, who seemed to perform some sort of forearm smash on Reid, and then Fellaini, whose challenge on Mark Noble look distinctly dangerous.

However, referee Mark Clattenburg was unmoved, but a United player did still have to leave the field before the break: Schneiderlin picked up a leg injury which he was unable to run off, and Michael Carrick was forced to come back into the team.

There were still no goals, and very few Red Devils chances, when Val Gaal was forced into another change, Paddy McNair forced off, meaning Guillermo Varela was handed a Manchester United debut, more than two years after signing for the club as David Moyes' first signing.

It did nothing to add to the atmosphere at Old Trafford, which was eerily quiet. It did get louder, but only thanks to the West Ham fans, buoyed by the fact that they should have been ahead.

Carroll knocked the ball down to Zarate inside 12 yards, but he screwed the ball well wide of David De Gea's left post.

It was the best chance of the game for either side, although just moments later Martial picked out Fellaini from close range, only to be denied by a stretching Adrian.

It was the same pair who combined with Memphis Depay with eight minutes left to carve out United's best chance, but Martial, connecting with the Dutchman's cross, side-footed wide from ten yards.