Our third-consecutive defeat at Old Trafford yesterday-afternoon was certainly one for Hammers’ fans to forget in a hurry, but who performed the worst and which players were to blame? As we take a look at how each featuring squad-member ranked out-of-ten at Old Trafford.
Joe Hart: 7/10
It was a difficult debut afternoon for Joe Hart at the Ground of his former bitter rivals, but the jeers of the crowd are not an excuse for the relatively poor-performance of the England No1.
Admittedly, there wasn’t much that the former Citizens man could have done about United’s first-two, but there was no doubt that he could have denied either Anthony Martial or Paul Pogba in the closing-stages. The shot-stopper will be looking for a much-tamer afternoon when we face The Saints on Saturday.
Pablo Zabaleta: 6/10
Just like his former City compatriot in-goal, it was a hostile atmosphere for Pablo Zabaleta to make his competitive Hammers debut in and he did not thrive.
The 32-year-old was caught out of position during the move for the hosts’ opener and was beaten easily on a number of occasions by Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. Overall, the right-back looked slightly rusty against high-class opposition and could be replaced by Sam Byram for next week.
Angelo Ogbonna: 7/10
If it weren’t for Manchester United notching four-goals, it would have been a very-solid day at the office for Angelo Ogbonna, who wasn’t our worst player by a long-shot.
The Italian international was on-hand to make a number of key interventions and blocks, but was far from his best in Manchester.
Winston Reid: 7/10
Much like Ogbonna, Winston Reid didn’t make many errors as the defence failed to cope with the United attack.
However, the Vice-Captain was a by-stander at times and should be looking to improve his sharpness, after returning from injury not so long ago.
Arthur Masuaku: 4.5/10
It is generally never a good thing for a defender to be described as a “rubbish player”, on the opening day of the Premier League season in commentary by one of the finest full backs that England has ever produced in the form of Gary Neville.
However, that is what happened to the Frenchman on a day that included awful man marking, shocking positioning and an all-round dreadful performance for Masuaku.
Mark Noble: 6.5/10
The ever-green skipper Mark Noble got what will probably be his last-season as a regular started underway with a typically feisty and passionate performance.
Despite his aggression, Noble lacked fitness and game-time after missing a few of the pre-season tests and was substituted for Declan Rice on 60-minutes. There is no doubt that Mr West Ham will be looking to play a fuller role at St Mary’s.
Pedro Obiang: 5/10
Yesterday’s performance was widely-regarded as Pedro Obiang’s worst in Claret & Blue and it is not hard to disagree with the critics.
The Spanish midfielder was guilty of giving the ball away cheaply several times, one of which led to a Romelu Lukaku goal. Hammers’ fans will be hoping that the poor form of such a key-player will only be temporary.
Edimilson Fernandes: 7/10
The Swiss international central-midfielder Edimilson Fernandes looked in his comfort zone against the pace and power of the United attack, but couldn’t quite gauge the pace of the clash and was replaced by Diafra Sakho early in the second period.
It was a poor-day all-round for the youngster, who also missed our chance of the game just before the break.
Marko Arnautovic: 7.5/10
Our club-record signing of Marko Arnautovic from Stoke City for £23 million made his Hammers debut and was a shining light in defeat.
The 28-year-old was involved in several good-moves and came the closest to scoring for Bilic’s boys with a second-half header that struck the bar. Hammers fans’ will eagerly await their next opportunity to see Arnautovic tearing down the wing against The Saints.
Andre Ayew: 6/10
Much like for most of his teammates, it was a day to forget for Andre Ayew at Old Trafford, as the former Swansea man didn’t impress.
Ayew drifted in and out of position freely against The Red Devils, meaning that we were given no width and allowed to be hemmed in by the home-side. The 27-year-old looked bright in the preparations for his second-season in Claret & Blue, but will need to improve over the coming weeks to be sure of a starting-place.
Javier Hernandez: 8/10
It was to be a day of isolation and frustration for Javier Hernandez against his former club, but the Mexican still managed to produce an eye-catching performance.
Chicharito was forced to drop deep on many occasions to find the ball and hold it up, he also had a superb effort fly just over De Gea’s bar late-on. So, with the £16-million-man shining in a 4-0 defeat, what will he be like in a Hammers’ victory.
Diafra Sakho: 7/10
Striker Diafra Sakho is a man that many members of the Claret & Blue Army never thought they would see don a West Ham shirt again, but he made his return as a 61st-minute substitute yesterday-afternoon.
The former Senegalese international showed flashes of the form that made him a fan-favourite but was isolated and will be hoping for better service from our new-recruits over the coming weeks.
Declan Rice: 8/10
Second only to Javier Hernandez as the best West Ham player on the pitch, Declan Rice certainly turned heads with a solid-midfield performance, after being introduced on the hour-mark.
The 18-year-old showed maturity beyond his years in his second-first-team appearance to boss the midfield in the second period. So, will Rice get a deserved first start as a Hammer in 6-days-time?
Aaron Cresswell: 7/10
Introduced as an 81st-minute substitute for flop Arthur Masuaku, the England international barely had time to impact the game that he couldn’t start due to a knock.
However, Cresswell should be fit enough to take the first-team baton from Masuaku for the trip to Southampton.
So, with a disappointing performance put in by more or less every featuring Hammer to root us to the foot of the Table, how will we fare in our second Premier League run-out of the season against Mauricio Pellegrino’s Southampton on Saturday?