Manchester United vs. West Brom: Winners and Losers from Premier League
West Brom condemned Manchester United to their third straight Premier League defeat on Saturday, as manager Tony Pulis' side clinched a 1-0 win at Old Trafford.
In many ways, this was a similar game to United's recent defeat to Chelsea, a game where Louis van Gaal's side dominated possession of the ball but struggled horribly to do anything dangerous with it. Where Chelsea undid United with one moment of incisive attacking brilliance, West Brom instead got lucky, with Jonas Olsson knowing little about it as Chris Brunt's driven free-kick deflected off his leg and into the far corner.
United had plenty of chances to get back on terms—and even win the game—but were frustrated by a fine performance from Baggies goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, whose most eye-catching moment came as he parried away Robin van Persie's tepid penalty late in the game.
The result is a huge blow to United's lingering hopes of finishing higher than fourth in the table. It is a massive result for West Brom, however, as they have now reached the 40-point mark that usually guarantees Premier League survival.
Click on for some winners and losers from Old Trafford.
Loser: Robin Van Persie
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In other circumstances, the fact Robin van Persie managed to last the full 90 minutes after so long on the sidelines would have been a cause for great celebration. But this was not a positive return for the Dutchman, as United not only lost, but he also missed a penalty in the process.
Van Persie looked as undercooked as you might expect from a player who has not played since the end of February, though he seemed to gain sharpness and confidence as the match went on. He undoubtedly came closest of all the United players to scoring a goal, although a combination of a slight lack of composure in front of goal and Myhill's heroics ultimately left RVP frustrated.
That was encapsulated in one moment in the 74th minute, when United were handed a penalty after Saido Berahino's handball. Van Persie took the chance—ahead of Wayne Rooney—but was unable to convert, as Myhill guessed the correct way and made a fine stop. According to Infostrada, it was his first penalty miss in the Premier League since 2012.
Van Gaal was clearly happy to be able to recall his compatriot to the lineup following recent defeats to Chelsea and Everton, but as the game wore on, it appeared his presence only further unsettled the side.
Neither Rooney nor Marouane Fellaini were as effective as they have been recently, with both seemingly knocked out of their usual rhythm by the return of the Dutchman. Maybe, for this game at least, United would have been better off sticking with the system that had been working for them in Van Persie's absence.
Winner: Boaz Myhill
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This was a victory built upon the defensive organisation instilled by Tony Pulis, but West Brom nevertheless needed one of Boaz Myhill's best performances of his career to get them over the line.
The Baggies' back-up goalkeeper—Ben Foster remains sidelined—had the sort of evening professional players dream about, one where everything seemed to come off for him and no shot proved beyond him.
The penalty save from Robin van Persie was the focal point of Myhill's performance, as he dived hard and low to his left to claw out the Dutchman's mediocre effort. But there were countless other smart saves over the course of the 90 minutes (many of them also against Van Persie), particularly in the final five minutes when the visitors really found themselves with their backs against the wall.
Myhill's all-round performance was equally impressive, as he marshalled his back line's positioning and dealt brilliantly with the attentions of Marouane Fellaini at every corner and set piece.
David De Gea, the goalkeeper named in the Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year, could only watch on from the other end of the pitch, his own clean sheet ruined through no fault of his own. For once this season, the Spaniard was outshone by his counterpart on the other team.
"Goalkeepers, that's what they're paid for—to have a game like that now and then," Pulis said, per Michael Emons of the BBC. "Luckily, for Bo it was here."
Loser: Louis van Gaal
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Three straight defeats is not good news for any manager, but especially if you are manager of Manchester United. After appearing to crack the code after surging to big wins over the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, United have suddenly reverted to their uninspiring midseason selves in recent weeks—with this just the latest disappointing display for Louis van Gaal to reflect on.
West Brom deserve credit for their organisation and Myhill for his saves, but nevertheless, United made it easier for them than might have been expected. The home side struggled for width and failed horribly to break between the lines, with Rooney often nullified and Van Persie a peripheral figure until the final 20 minutes.
The similar struggles of the chasing pack mean United are still comfortably on course to finish fourth in the table and secure Champions League football, which was the main target at the start of the season, but the realistic hopes they had of finishing second just a few weeks ago appear to have been washed away.
"It's a frustrating afternoon for us. If you don't score, it's impossible to win.
We know some teams will do this and we have to find a way to beat them. We need to learn from this and keep going.
We know that Liverpool and more teams are coming from behind so we need more points as soon as possible.
"
United still have three games to rediscover their rhythm, but these last three have erased some of the confidence that had previously accumulated about United's improvement—and Van Gaal will now be acutely aware that a lot of work, both in the transfer market and on the training pitch, still needs to be done this summer if his side are to return for next season as genuine title contenders.
Winner: West Brom's Defence (and Tony Pulis)
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This was a classic defensive performance for an unfancied away side in the Premier League, the sort of display on which Tony Pulis has built his reputation.
The Baggies boss named a lineup that included four central defenders and, arguably, four central midfielders, resulting in a game where United were persistently asked to break down two narrow banks of four that contained few gaps and had seemingly been drilled for every eventuality and every attacking approach.
All of West Brom's players performed their jobs expertly, even if they still needed their goalkeeper to make a few reaching saves to preserve the clean sheet. In midfield, Darren Fletcher was impressive against his old club—it must have been a special afternoon for him—while Claudio Yacob earned Sky Sports' Man of the Match honours for the screening job he did in front of the defence—a defence that was rarely breached in any meaningful way until the closing stages of the contest.
As Pulis said:
"You need to be organised, resilient and have a bit of luck. We had that in abundance.
It takes a lot of work and commitment from the players - 90 per cent of it is dealing with people off the ball.
"
Pulis's game plan was clear: lock up shop at the back and then try to nick something—by hook or by crook—at the other end. That is exactly how it worked out, with West Brom picking up a win that effectively ensures they will be back at Old Trafford next season, looking for a third straight away win against United.
Losers: Wayne Rooney and Angel Di Maria
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As mentioned previously, Wayne Rooney was anonymous for large parts of the match, as Van Gaal's decision to restore Van Persie as the main striker (requiring Rooney to drop deeper) failed to pay off.
Rooney was not the only disappointing performer, however, as Angel Di Maria came on immediately after Olsson's goal and proceeded to frustrate the Old Trafford crowd with his wildly inconsistent delivery from wide areas and questionable decision-making in the final third.
For the most expensive signing in the club's history, Di Maria's ongoing struggles will be a huge worry for United. At the moment, fans are unable to even see short glimpses of the player who was often so pivotal for Real Madrid last season; instead, they're seeing a player who now cannot come off the bench and make a tangible impact in 20 minutes where United dominate possession.
There is a very real argument that Van Gaal is misusing Di Maria, but that does not completely excuse the player. The longer the season goes on, the more concerning the Argentine's form becomes—and on a poor night for the whole team, this felt like another nadir.
