Manchester United live to fight another day in the FA Cup after Anthony Martial’s late equaliser ensured that the Reds drew with West Ham at Old Trafford today.
Louis van Gaal would have been expecting a response from his charges after a poor performance against Liverpool in the Europa League in midweek, but it was the same old story from United today – lots of possession of the ball but no end product in sight.
And it seemed as if United would be heading out of the FA Cup after the Hammers took the lead with nearly twenty minutes remaining. Dimitri Payet – who could have been sent off for a dive in the penalty box minutes earlier – curled home a stunning 35-yard free kick, sending the away fans into raptures.
However, it was that man Martial who saved the day again for United, tapping home after a great cross from Ander Herrera down the right-hand side with seven minutes left on the clock.
It would finish 1-1 and both sides will face each other again at Upton Park for a place in the semi-finals. In the meantime, both teams will go into the hat for the semi-final draw tomorrow night.
Here’s our United player ratings for today’s game:
David de Gea - 7
Couple of good saves to keep the Hammers from scoring, and could do nothing about Payet’s stunning free-kick, even if Paul Scholes suggests otherwise.
Guillermo Varela - 7
Was a bit suspect defensively in the first-half, being sucked into the middle of the pitch and leaving acres of space down United’s right-hand side, but was a threat going forward. Also did well to stop Payet going through on goal in the latter stages of the second-half.
Chris Smalling - 6
A solid performance from the Maidstone Maldini but he needs his organise and command his back four better.
Daley Blind - 5
Played left-back for the first two minutes before being switched back into the centre of defence. Looked shaky and guilty of losing his man far too often. Corner-taking may be poorer than Phil Jones’.
Marcos Rojo - 6
Swapped places with Blind after two minutes and had a fairly solid game. Contained the Hammers down the left-hand side and did well going forward.
Michael Carrick - 5
The stand-in captain tried to dictate United’s tempo throughout the game, but his passes were often too one-dimensional and slowed down the Reds.
Marouane Fellaini - 5
It remains a mystery why the Belgian still gets a chance in midfield. Fouls too often, distribution sloppy and loses the ball on a regular basis. Fellaini’s poor performance showed when Bastian Schweinsteiger came on.
Jesse Lingard - 6
An average game from Lingard, who really needs to drive at his man and take him on at all times, instead of checking back and playing a sideways or backwards pass.
Ander Herrera - 7
The Spaniard provided a good link between attack and midfield, putting himself about with some meaty tackles. A great cross for Martial’s equaliser.
Anthony Martial - 9
How many times has Martial saved Louis van Gaal’s skin? The Frenchman was his usual self today, taking on players and driving forward with purpose. His goal was a just reward for his endeavour and effort.
Marcus Rashford - 6
Quiet game from Rashford, who was shackled by Winston Reid and Cheikhou Kouyate. Had one great touch to spin round the defenders before being marshalled out by Darren Randolph in the Hammers goal.
Substitutes
Memphis Depay (6) – Looked lively during his cameo, but didn’t really make the most of it. His shot almost led to Payet countering for a second, and he didn’t pull the trigger when he had the chance to in the final moments.
Bastian Schweinsteiger (7) – Changed the game and provided a midfield presence United had been sorely lacking. Was dynamic and his leadership spurred United on for the equaliser.
Matteo Darmian (N/A) – Had little time to do anything after coming on for Varela in the final minutes.