Liverpool could not stay on top for too long after thrashing Pompey 3-2 as Manchester United captured their deserved position. A sublime Ryan Giggs goal saw them overcome West Ham and moved back to the top of the Premier League, with a game in hand.
This fixture has been one of the most difficult games for United in terms of fan outrage. I have never figured out why West Ham fans always boo Manchester United at Upton Park. Their hatred towards the Red Devils is even more as compared to what they have for their local rivals Arsenal and Spurs. But even is such a difficult situation, United dominated the game and got the 3 points. What was more fulfilling was that van Der Sar extended his clean sheet run to 13 games.
The Hammers gave United a stern test in the first half but then they never threatened. Man United were not at their free-flowing best as Zola's men were marking every player very well. But eventually, Giggs cut in from the left and curled in a shot to provide the moment of magic needed for the win. When I saw Giggs scoring the goal, I could not believe that Giggs is a veteran. His trickery and run brought back the memories when he was a boy in United's youth academy. Fabulous.
The result ended West Ham's run of six league games without a defeat and, despite their good play, they just could not find a way through United's defence. One thing I could clearly see was how Zola had made sure that Carlos Tevez was being well-marshalled. A great week for United as many of their players are returning from injuries and trying to achieve the quadruple.
Labels: manchester United, ryan giggs, West Ham
