West Ham vs. Manchester United: Winners and Losers from FA Cup
Manchester United moved on to the semi-final round of the FA Cup on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory over West Ham United.
Louis van Gaal's men pulled away early in the second half by way of goals from Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini.
The Hammers fought back and found the back of the net in the 79th minute on a James Tomkins header, but they couldn't score a second thanks to the heroics of David De Gea in net.
The Red Devils will face Everton at Wembley on April 23 in the first FA Cup semi-final. Crystal Palace play Watford the next day in the other semi.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from United's 2-1 road win over West Ham.
Winner: David De Gea
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David De Gea's play in between the pipes during the second half secured Manchester United's passage to Wembley.
The Spanish netminder made a massive pair of denials in the 89th minute on Cheikhou Kouyate and Andy Carroll to preserve the road victory at Upton Park.
Ten minutes before his game-saving stops, De Gea put in a tremendous effort near the right post as his foot stopped a Michail Antonio attempt on target.
While a few other players in the United squad delivered key performances on Wednesday, none of them were as important as the contributions made by the team's starting goalkeeper.
Loser: Andy Carroll
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It may seem odd to call Andy Carroll a loser after a game in which he recorded an assist, but he could've done much better as an aerial threat in front of the United goal.
The 27-year-old Englishman, who bagged a hat-trick on Saturday against Arsenal, disappeared for long stretches of the contest and was unable to connect with the crosses sent in by his teammates from both wings until the 79th minute.
Carroll's header across the box to Tomkins helped make things interesting at West Ham's home ground, but the striker missed a pair of opportunities to tie the game late in the second half.
Winner: Marcus Rashford
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Marcus Rashford displayed the composure of a veteran striker on his opener in the 54th minute.
With a pair of defenders surrounding him on the left edge of the penalty area, the 18-year-old unleashed a cool shot into the right side of the net.
The strike was the sixth in 11 games and the first away from Manchester for the talented young forward whose only other road goal came in the Manchester derby on March 20.
With United still in the fight for the FA Cup and the top four in the Premier League, Rashford should be able to find the back of the net on a few more occasions before the season ends.
Losers: Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini
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Both Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini lacked the required punch in attack to take down Manchester United and move on to Wembley.
The attacking pair had trouble dealing with Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Chris Smalling and the rest of the opposing defense throughout the match, and when they found space, they had no one to connect with in the final third.
Payet, who has made a name for himself on free-kicks this season, failed to create a consistent threat on set pieces despite the visitors appearing vulnerable in that area over 90 minutes.
Lanzini was lifted in the 73rd minute for Emmanuel Emenike, who instantly made the Hammers attack more dangerous as the home side pushed for a pair of late goals.
Winner: Marouane Fellaini
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The much-maligned Marouane Fellaini played a vital role in what turned out to be the game-winner on Wednesday night.
In the buildup to his 67th-minute strike, Fellaini pulled down the ball with his chest on the right side of the box and began an attacking move that ended with the ball bouncing off his midsection following an Anthony Martial shot.
The effort displayed by Fellaini was exactly what United fans wanted to see in a critical match. Hopefully for the Red Devils, the Belgian's performance will carry over into the final month of the Premier League season.
Follow Joe on Twitter @JTansey90.
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