Marko Arnautovic Inspires West Ham Past Manchester United in Premier League

West Ham United plunged Manchester United deeper into crisis on Saturday in the Premier League, as they earned a comfortable 3-1 win over the Red Devils at London Stadium.

The visitors got off to the worst possible start, with Felipe Anderson finishing expertly after Pablo Zabaleta's cross in the fifth minute. The Hammers doubled their advantage before the break, when Andriy Yarmolenko's shot deflected off Victor Lindelof and in.

After the interval, United manager Jose Mourinho withdrew Paul Pogba from the game in search of a response, and his side immediately got one back through Marcus Rashford's stunning flick.

However, hope of a comeback was short-lived, as Marko Arnautovic found acres of space in the United defence and had time to finish past David De Gea. 

United's Defence Will Damage Top-4 Hopes

IAN KINGTON/Getty Images

After a chaotic buildup to the game, Mourinho would have been desperate to see his side show cohesion in the early stages. Instead, they were all at sea. Given Mourinho had set up his team with a five-man defence, it was the last thing this under-pressure team needed.

As James Robson of the Evening Standard noted, Scott McTominay, playing in an unfamiliar position in central defence, was at fault for the opener:

While there was some misfortune about the second goal, it was indicative of the lack of aggression and anticipation they have played with for much of the campaign.

Per journalist Tony Evans, West Ham sensed weakness from the off and exploited it: 

It's not the first time this season Mourinho has made intriguing decisions in his defensive setup, with Ander Herrera also shoehorned into a back three in the 3-0 home loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

Should he remain in charge for the months to come, it would be a surprise if we saw this formation again.

No Way Back for Mourinho After Further Setback

IAN KINGTON/Getty Images

Mourinho made big calls on Saturday in leaving out Alexis Sanchez, Jesse Lingard and Antonio Valencia, not to mention changing the shape. But he watched his side collapse in front of him again.

The spotlight will fall squarely on the United manager after another disappointing defeat, equalling the team's worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign.

Alex Shaw of ESPN thinks it's time for the club to act:

Bleacher Report's Rob Blanchette believes the issues in the team stem from the manager:

While it's noble to back a manager, it would take something extraordinary for Mourinho to turn things around at United. The team is already out of one competition and realistically out of the title picture before we enter October.

A big decision would be needed from the club's hierarchy to sack the manager so early into the 2018-19 season. However, the Red Devils look in need of a major change.

Early-Season Woes Well Behind West Ham

IAN KINGTON/Getty Images

After four losses in a row to start this campaign, there was some unrest at West Ham. The players have put those problems well behind them now.

The front three of Yarmolenko, Anderson and Marko Arnautovic, in particular, will give opponents trouble this season. On Saturday, they linked up brilliantly, with all three playing crucial roles in scoring or creating the goals.

Arnautovic has been in exceptional form for the majority of 2018:

Manager Manuel Pellegrini would have been aware that time was needed for this team to jell after so many summer acquisitions, and since the international break, they have accumulated seven points from a possible nine against Everton, Chelsea and United.

Suddenly, this is an upwardly mobile outfit that appears to be living up to the pre-season hype.

What's next?

The tough games keep coming for the Red Devils, with Valencia their opponents in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

As for West Ham, they are next in action away from home against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Friday.