Chronicle Editor
Manchester United responded to their midweek Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain by staging another Premier League fightback to beat West Ham United and climb to fourth in the table yesterday.
Goals from Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood and substitute Marcus Rashford turned things around for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, who have fallen behind in all five away games this term but have won every match as part of a club-record nine successive away league victories.
With London placed in Tier 2 following the end of the national lockdown on 2 December, the Hammers became the first side to welcome back fans in the Premier League after a nine-month absence.
David Moyes’ side made by far the better start and were rewarded for their first-half superiority when the unmarked Tomas Soucek headed in from a corner after 38 minutes.
They should have added more before the interval, but Pablo Fornals hit the post and Sebastien Haller slipped at the crucial moment after rounding goalkeeper Dean Henderson – who was making his first Premier League start for the visitors.
After being omitted with a crucial Champions League meeting with RB Leipzig looming on Tuesday, the introduction of Bruno Fernandes and Rashford coincided with a much-improved second-half display from Solskjaer’s side.
Pogba’s excellent finish from outside the box eventually stood following a VAR review to check whether Henderson’s long clearance to Rashford had curled out of play and then back in.
Rashford’s cool finish after Greenwood had slotted in from Alex Telles’ cross made it three goals in 13 minutes as United moved two points behind leaders Tottenham.
Meanwhile, West Ham United welcomed 2 000 fans back to the London Stadium against Manchester United to mark the first Premier League match since March to have fans inside the stadium.
Leicester City’s game against Aston Villa on March 9 was the last English top-flight game without supporters and with Covid-19 leaving a black mark on the sport and the world at large, the sight of West Ham supporters traipsing back into the London Stadium to witness the visit of Manchester United will have given all football-lovers hope that the opportunity to cheer their team on won’t be too far away.
The experience is not the same – with face coverings, reduced singing, hand sanitiser, temperature checks on arrivals and social distancing all elements of the new set-up – but those fans lucky enough to bag seats for the match certainly weren’t dwelling too much on that as they belted out I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles.
The fans were in fine voice even before Tomas Soucek had put the home side 1-0 up in the first half before Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood brilliantly turned the game on its head after the break.
Chelsea are the next club to welcome supporters when they host Leeds United in Saturday’s 8pm kick-off.
On Sunday, 2 000 Tottenham fans will be able to attend the north London derby, before the same number of Liverpool supporters will converge on Anfield for their match against Wolves. Brighton will then host 2 000 fans – the maximum number allowed in a tier 2 area – when they play Southampton on Monday night.
If clubs can convince the government-led Sports Technology and Innovation Group (STIG) taskforce that the safety measure have been adhered to, trials with greater capacities may be considered.
However, there are still 10 clubs in tier 3 areas and therefore cannot host fans yet: Aston Villa, Burnley, Leeds, Leicester, both Manchester clubs, Newcastle, Sheffield United, West Brom and Wolves. – dailymail.
Online Reporter