West Ham 0 Man Utd 4

Tomkins was brought back into defence for Da Costa, Hines replaced the injured Cole.

Man Utd dominated most of the possession in the first half and for 40 minutes West Ham soaked up the pressure fairly well. Man Utd won a succession of corners but in the first 40 minutes didn't really get a shot on goal. In the 12th minute Valencia's glancing header from a corner flew over the bar. In the 30th minute Carrick's through ball for Rooney forced Green to rush out and save at Rooney's feet.

At the other end West Ham's best chance came when Hines created space for himself in the area and fired a shot across the six yard area and Collison, running in at the far post, just lost out in the race to the ball.

Having coped well for most of the half, as the half-time whistle approached West Ham seemed to switch off and become sloppy on the ball and Man United began to look a bit more dangerous. In injury time at the end of the half, Scholes was first to an Ilunga cleared header and shot and scored from the edge of the West Ham penalty area.


Dimanati came on for Hines in the second half. West Ham had a brief glimmer of hope when, in the 56th minute Diamanti crossed from deep on the left and Tomkins had a free header at the far post from four yards, but his header was straight at the keeper.

Four minutes later and West Ham were two down from a 25 yards screamer from Gibson, after some good play down the left by Giggs. In the 70th minute it was 3-0 after a low cross across the West Ham goal was knocked in at the far post by Valencia. A minute after the restart Valencia turned provider when his low cross into the area was met by an unmarked Rooney, who scored from 6 yards.

In the 76th minute Stanilas came close to getting a consolation goal for West Ham, when his eight yard shot from right of the goal just missed wide of the far post. In the 62nd minute Diamanti also came close with a great freekick from 30 yards which would have just crept in the top left corner but for a save from the keeper. In the 87th minute Diamanti fired wide from ten yards out and to the left of goal.


I have a feeling it is going to be a difficult December for West Ham. We have now let in five goals in two games from players getting in behind our full-backs and firing low crosses into the six yard area.