I’m going to leave you with tonight’s piping fresh match report, filed by Jamie Jackson. Enjoy! And thanks for your company tonight, as ever. We got there!
Entirely predictable defeat. West Ham lost that game when they didn’t sign a striker last month. Relying on Antonio was never going to be sustainable; it’s already been exposed. No real plan once Haller was sold. It will probably kill any chance of Europe #whufc
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) February 9, 2021
A Hammers take from Jacob.
Harry Maguire: “We got the win we deserved in the end. Saturday [against Everton] was tough, we were so disappointed, so it was great spirit and great mentality to come back and get our heads back up.”
United reach the last eight and it was a sweet finish from McTominay wot won it. They deserved to win overall; I can’t remember West Ham having a single chance and Fabianski did have to make two very good saves. But that was an eye-wateringly bad game.
Full-time: Manchester United 1-0 West Ham
Look, it’s a lockdown, none of us had anything better to do.
119 min: Henderson tries to make things a little interesting with a daredevil dribble inside his own box, and gets away with it.
117 min: Keep-ball from United, before a pass from McTominay and a harmless shot at Fabianski by Martial.
114 min: West Ham are trying to exert some pressure ... and a Johnson cross finds Benrahma, who flicks a header straight at Henderson. I think he was offside anyway. It’s the nearest thing they have really had to a chance all night.
112 min: West Ham sub the sub, Odubeko, for Lanzini. The youngster barely had a kick.
111 min: “Well, at least we can say that no live spectators suffered in the playing of this game. And hopefully everyone watching at home was wearing masks. Over their eyes,” writes Justin Kavanagh.
109 min: A West Ham move breaks down and Cavani charges into open space, but he sends Rashford too wide with a sloppy pass.
107 min: I think West Ham look pretty shot, so United just need to be sensible now.
Peeeep! Into the final 15
Unless West Ham can salvage pens ...
Half time in extra time: Manchester United 1-0 West Ham
I’ll not lie, we could have all done with that goal coming a little bit earlier. But it was a decent drive from McTominay, who has now scored seven this season, so let’s drink the goodness in.
105 min: “Great ambition shown by Moyes with his plan for West Ham to score no goals and lose this game in extra time,” says Robert Speed.
103 min: From a very similar United attack to the one that eventually brought the goal, Fernandes uncharacteristically bodges a pass for Martial and it runs behind.
101 min: What do West Ham have left in the tank? Benrahma tries to play Soucek in but can’t quite find his man.
Goal! Manchester United 1-0 West Ham (McTominay 97)
And ... wow ... a goal! A four-on-four counter from United, with the game becoming increasingly stretched, seems to have run adrift when a Fred cross is headed away. But Rashford nudges the ball into McTominay’s path with a deftness and subtlety quite out of step with the night, and the sub batters the ball low past Fabianski!
Updated
97 min: Amad Diallo is warming up. I’d like to see him get 15 minutes. That might lift this a bit.
Updated
95 min: United still making most of the running here, with West Ham possibly tiring a bit. Nobody will have wanted 120 here, not with this schedule.
93 min: Kari Tulinius writes in–
“This game is fascinatingly dull. It might even rival the infamous match between Switzerland and Ukraine in the 2nd round of the 2006 World Cup. I’m losing my will to live, but I also can’t tear my eyes away from this travesty.”
I watched that game in a fan park next to the old Olympic Stadium in Munich amid an absolutely *almighty* thunderstorm, so at least that was memorable.
Peeeeep! Extra time begins
The football must continue.
United will bring on Telles and Williams at full-back for Shaw and Wan-Bissaka.
I have a possibly unpopular opinion, which is that – with some very notable exceptions – football has really not been very good at all since around early December. This hasn’t disabused me of the idea.
Full-time: Manchester United 0-0 West Ham – extra time to be played
West Ham can’t quite do anything with the corner, so we are condemned.
90+2 min: But lo ... a last minute Hammers corner!
90+1 min: Two minutes left to escape an extra 30.
90 min: Fabianski clutches a Telles cross. That’s it, that’s the update.
89 min: Benrahma is on for West Ham, replacing Fornals. But I fear we are doomed to an extra 30 minutes of possibly the dullest game I’ve seen all season – and look, I attended both Fulham-Brighton fixtures.
86 min: Cavani replaces the quiet Greenwood.
85 min: We’re up to first half-hour levels of Man Utd domination now, without a goal looking especially likely. Maybe this will jinx it.
82 min: Martial bullet-heads a decent Telles cross wide at the near post. Well wide, but still one of the more exciting and dynamic moments we’ve seen.
81 min: At least Fernandes looks bright, and he sees a shot deflected over. Contrast that with poor old Van de Beek. Will something happen from this corner? Not really.
79 min: This isn’t a very good advert for the 2020-21 football season, let’s be honest.
75 min: Fernandes instantly sprays a beautiful pass down the line for Greenwood, but United can’t quite fashion a shooting chance out of the resulting flurry and the rock-solid Dawson clears.
73 min: It comes to nothing, but here are two United subs. Van de Beek looks over to the touchline forlornly. He does indeed go off, and so does Matic – on come Fernandes and McTominay. Can someone *please* save us from extra time now?
70 min: Dawson does very well to fling himself across and head away a ball from Fred after a good run from the midfielder. I think Fernandes is readying himself, but not before this West Ham corner – which came after Henderson tipped over a skied clearance from his own man, Wan-Bissaka.
68 min: A 3 vs 3 break for West Ham but ... ohhhh ... Fornals fluffs the final pass when they had a player over, and Lindelof intervenes.
67 min: Fredericks takes on Telles and gets to the line, but his low cross is snicked away from Soucek.
66 min: “I feel Fred gets a bit more stick than he deserves,” offers Dean Kinsella. “Alright, he’s not the most creative midfielder but does a lot of the donkey work breaking up opponent’s attacks. Not glamorous but necessary especially against the tough hombres playing for the Hammers.”
64 min: A scruffy spell. And not exactly the first. One of those games that you’d quite like to get done and dusted but, at the same time, you want to go all the way to pens so at not to feel short-changed.
61 min: West Ham build the play well before Henderson claims Johnson’s cross. They have looked much more comfortable in the new system.
Updated
59 min: ... which is scrappily cleared by United’s defence.
58 min: That good Rashford chance apart, little has happened yet in this half. West Ham aren’t sitting off quite at much as they were, though, and earn another corner ...
55 min: And now, indeed, a fourth West Ham sub. Yarmolenko, who had been struggling, comes off and the young former United striker Ademipo Odubeko is on. Narrative incoming ... ?
54 min: Best chance of the game there for Rashford, who is alone at the back post after a Greenwood cross evades Martial but faced rapidly by the excellent Fabianski, who spreads himself and blocks.
Updated
53 min: Incidentally, I think Diop’s replacement by Fredericks was as a concussion sub. So West Ham can use another.
51 min: It is snowing lightly at Old Trafford. Best thing that’s happened yet!
50 min: Johnson has started well down that left side and a strong run sees Maguire forced to cut out his low cross.
49 min: The longer this goes on, the more tempted Solsjkaer will be to haul on Fernandes and/or Cavani.
46 min: West Ham are now playing with a back three – or five, whichever way you look at it. Ryan Fredericks has also come on, replacing the replacement Diop, so he and Johnson will be wing-backs.
Peeeeep! Second half underway
Man Utd kick off, after being left in the cold by West Ham for a fair few minutes, and we’re surely in for a better half this time. The visitors make a change – Ben Johnson on for Bowen.
The second half is three or four minutes away – don’t go anywhere ...
There was a real live cupset earlier. Richard Jolly was at Burnley 0-2 Bournemouth for us:
Halfway to being Moyesied...
— David Hytner (@DaveHytner) February 9, 2021
Pretty much ...
Neil Carter writes: “Terrible game, just terrible. I have seen a fair few mediocre midfielders play for Man Utd over the last 40 years but Fred has to be up there as one of the most pointless. I just don’t get what he’s good at. Poor Donny, playing with him and Matic, devoid of confidence and lacking match fitness, I hope things improve for him he looks bewildered at times. Diallo on in the second half please!”
Half-time: Manchester United 0-0 West Ham
Not the best. West Ham lost Ogbonna early on, in the process of snuffing out a Martial chance, but otherwise a fine save by Fabianski from a deflected Lindelof header was the best of the action. The Hammers livened up in the final 10-15 minutes of the half without creating much. All to play for, and hopefully it opens up a bit.
45 min: Coufal blocks from Martial but Van de Beek, who teed him up, is offside. We’ll see three added minutes.
Updated
43 min: West Ham’s Good Spell continues, with one cross from the right going begging. No real chances created, but they have drawn United’s sting.
40 min: Rice bustles down the left but doesn’t see a potential pass to Yarmolenko and the ball ends up with Henderson. Better from West Ham in the last six or seven minutes though.
39 min: Martial is OK, I think. He’s rubbing his forehead but is up and about. Diop actually seemed the worst hit but looks set to carry on too.
38 min: It’s helped on at the near post and then Martial heads away *ever so bravely* from the onrushing Diop, taking a whack in the head for his trouble as they challenge. Both men go down. That was painful and this doesn’t look great. Is this going to be a concussion issue?
36 min: Bowen takes too long over a West Ham counter and Van de Beek – he’s playing! – pops back to sort him out. Moment later the Hammers earn a corner ...
Updated
34 min: Nearly something for them there, though, Yarmolenko helping the ball through to Bowen. The forward would be in on goal if it wasn’t for a rapid recovery from Telles.
33 min: West Ham spend a little time in the opposition half, but to nought.
31 min: United haven’t got Van de Beek involved yet. It needs to happen for him, otherwise this is going to become a game they ask Bruno Fernandes to come on and prise open ...
28 min: Another Man Utd corner comes to nothing, but they are piling pressure on now. More props required for that Fabianski save, by the way. It was magnificent, especially given the deflection en route.
Updated
27 min: Save! Telles outswings that one, Lindelof jumps, his header clips a defender and seems sure to trickle past Fabianski – but he leaps to his left and tips it away!
26 min: Smart one-two between Martial and Rashford there, but Noble is the latest Hammer to block well. United then win a corner and perhaps a chance to carve something clearer. It’s worked short and eventually results in another corner.
24 min: It’s attack against defence currently, but the former are showing little suggestion that they will break down the latter. West Ham are, as always, very well organised.
22 min: Now Rashford has a go best described as “speculative”, but Dawson charges it down. West Ham have A Lot of men behind the ball.
20 min: Matic lashes over from range. West Ham look like a team that’d happily take this the distance.
19 min: That injury aside, West Ham will be happy enough with their start. United haven’t been able to rack up much tempo yet.
16 min: Now Cresswell blocks from Greenwood after Martial lays off. Bodies on the line here from West Ham. Issa Diop will now bring them back up to 11 in the unfortunate Ogbonna’s place.
15 min: Yarmolenko tries to shoot on the turn but it’s blocked. First little show from West Ham.
14 min: Ouch, looks like Martial’s foot landed on Ogbonna’s ankle in the follow through from shooting. Nobody’s fault but he’ll have to leave us shortly. For now West Ham are down to 10 but defend United’s corner.
13 min: Seems to be Ogbonna’s left ankle – he is requiring a fair bit of treatment and is clearly in pain.
12 min: First little glimmer for someone, as the reliably brave Ogbonna blocks superbly from Martial as he looks to steer a Telles pass past Fabianski. The centre-back picks up a knock in so doing.
Updated
10 min: Greenwood flicks a Wan-Bissaka cross on to Rashford, but the nation’s finest cannot work space for a shot.
8 min: “Five minutes gone. Van der Beek has made 4-5 great runs already and been spotted by teammates 0 times. Oh look, now he comes short and they tap it to him for a return. Grrr. Is he wasted here?” asks the well-named Duncan Edwards. It’s not clicked for him so far, has it?
6 min: West Ham knock it about at the back. A slow start here, really.
4 min: Otherwise it’s United of the Manchester variety who have the early possession, one nice move seeing Ogbonna do well to win a goal kick off Greenwood.
2 min: Soucek is fouled for a free-kick some 45 yards out. Noble will put it into the box – and Matic is originally deemed to have snicked it out for a corner, until the linesman overrules that call.
Peeeeep! And away we go!
West Ham, in sky blue and from right to left, kick us off.
The teams are walking out into the Manchester night! Our FA Cup runneth over any moment now ...
“Bournemouth 2, Burnley 0? That does lookie likie an upset to me,” writes Peter Oh.
*Doffs cap*
You could, if you wanted, follow this MBM *and* listen to today’s ever-excellent Football Weekly at the same time.
Bournemouth lead 2-0 at Burnley in the night’s other tie. I guess that’s a shock of sorts. Into the dying moments there, so we can say that one is done.
The newly available Soucek is one of my favourite top-flight players at the moment. A touch of the Fellainis perhaps? I mean that in a good way.
The most recent FA Cup action between these two, though, was a quarter-final in 2016. Man United won the replay 2-1 at Upton Park ... and went on to win the competition. That’s the last time they got their mitts on the trophy; West Ham have to go waaaaaay back to 1980.
These sides’ only meeting in the league so far this season came at the London Stadium in December – and Manchester United won 3-1.
This FA Cup tie only brings one moment to mind for me, though:
Two strong lineups there, which serves me right for suggesting anything otherwise. Man Utd do give the likes of Fernandes, Cavani, McTominay, Shaw and the injured Pogba a break. See the name “Diallo” on the bench there? That’s the ludicrously talented 18-year-old Amad Diallo, signed from Atalanta last month. It would be very exciting to see him get a run.
West Ham miss Michail Antonio, who Moyes said has been suffering from fatigue, while Jesse Lingard is ineligible. It means they don’t really start with a recognised centre-forward here. They do have Tomas Soucek, though, after his red card against Fulham was rescinded.
Teams
Manchester United: Henderson; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles; Matic, Fred; Greenwood, van de Beek, Rashford; Martial. Subs: Grant, Shaw, Tuanzebe, Williams, Fernandes, James, McTominay, Diallo, Cavani.
West Ham: Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Noble, Soucek; Fornals, Bowen, Yarmolenko. Subs: Trott, Diop, Balbuena, Johnson, Fredricks, Alves, Lanzini, Benrahma, Odubeko.
Back in a bit to look at that little lot!
Hello
It’s the FA Cup fifth round, this. Just making sure we’re all clear on that, because football comes at you exceedingly fast right now. Now that’s all out in the open, what have we in store?
We have Vastly Improved Manchester United versus Upwardly Mobile West Ham – both tags still work even if they respectively endured frustrating draws at the weekend – and another cheery welcome back to Old Trafford for David Moyes. The outcome of this tie might well depend on which manager *wants it* the most: in a schedule like this, and with much to play for in the league, will either of them want to flog their thoroughbreds in the name of this famous old trophy?
Let’s, errr, hope they do, or that whoever plays puts on a show for us. Certainly should be a fun one, decided on the night of course with penalties if needed. And the prize of a quarter-final place is no small one in this strangest of seasons. Whoever wins tonight will feel they can go all the way.
Get your emails and tweets in while we wait for kick-off (7.30 UK), and let’s enjoy!
