How West Ham rated in their 4-0 defeat against West Ham United

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Manchester United started their season with a bang at the weekend, as they demolished West Ham 4-0 at Old Trafford.

Debutant Romelu Lukaku, who was signed in part to help United convert their dominance against lesser teams into goals, duly delivered with two strikes that took his personal career tally against the Hammers to 11.

West Ham endured a torrid afternoon, with the defence struggling to cope with the pace and power of United and their forwards unable to influence the game at all. While there is surely more to come for the Hammers this season after some impressive summer recruitment, their display against United suggests that manager Slaven Bilic still has work to do if he is to successfully mould his new-look team.

Here is how Slaven Bilic’s side rated at Old Trafford:

Joe Hart – The on-loan Manchester City keeper was looking to become the first visiting stopper to keep three clean sheets at Old Trafford in the Premier League, but he was afforded very little protection from the players in front of him. While he could do little about the first three goals and made a good save to deny Juan Mata early on, his positioning was questionable as Paul Pogba’s low shot beat him in the final moments. 6

Pablo Zabaleta – The Argentine had a debut to forget for the Hammers, having been subjected to a torrid examination first by Marcus Rashford and then Anthony Martial. Just 33% of his tackles were successful from right back, while he also earned a yellow card for hauling down Rashford as the forward beat him for pace for the umpteenth time. While the former City star never gave in, this is a game that he will want to forget in a hurry. 4

Angelo Ogbonna – Having presumably been selected ahead of Jose Fonte to cope with the physical presence of Lukaku, Ogbonna had little answer to either the Belgian or his teammates. He failed to win a single tackle, while his tally of two interceptions did little to keep Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan from penetrating in-behind. 5

Winston Reid – The pick of the Hammers defenders, Reid at least stood up to the challenge of Lukaku while winning an impressive 71% of his aerial duels. He also attempted to show leadership by cajoling his teammates throughout, while he managed to keep his focus and his discipline as the Hammers lost their defensive shape in the second half. 6

Arthur Masuaku – While the left back may have been laughing at Lukaku as the two awaited Mkhitaryan’s delivery from a set-piece, he was stony faced moments later as the Belgian slipped his attention to double United’s lead. This was the nadir of a poor performance by the Frenchman, who, apart from a couple of powerful runs forward, looked out of his depth against Juan Mata and Antonio Valencia. 4

Mark Noble – The sole survivor of West Ham’s least league win at Old Trafford in 2007, Noble’s experience and knowhow were not enough to cope with the sheer physical presence of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic. While the Hammers’ captain was tidy on the ball and achieved a pass completion of 83%, it was no surprise to see him hauled off as the Hammers looked to breathe some energy into a lifeless midfield. 5

Pedro Obiang – After a relatively bright and aggressive opening to the game, Obiang faded badly after being dispossessed by Matic in the build-up to Lukaku’s opening goal. He then failed to exert any influence on proceedings, while he was constantly caught out of position as United countered a disjointed West Ham side at will in the second half. 5

Edmilson Fernandes – Fernandes was arguably the pick of the Hammers’ midfield, as he looked to drive forward in the first half and fired West Ham’s best chance of the game straight at David De Gea. He is another who faded badly in the second half and seemed to lose his positional sense as the Hammers pressed to get back into the game, and joined his skipper Noble in being substituted on the hour. 6

Andre Ayew – Aside from a couple of bright runs early on and a neat flick to help create the chance for Fernandes, Ayew was anonymous at Old Trafford. Unable to get any change out of Daley Blind down the right flank, the fact that he failed to execute a single shot or create a chance for a teammate summed up a poor display. His head also seemed to drop in the second half, with West Ham failing to carve out a single, clear-cut chance as they chased the game. 5

Marko Arnautovic – While the enigmatic forward enjoyed a quiet debut, he at least grazed the crossbar with a powerful header from Javier Hernandez’ looping cross in the second half. He also worked hard to track Antonio Valencia for most of the game, showing the type of energy and commitment that so many of his colleagues seemed to lack. 6

Javier Hernandez – The prolific Mexican will surely enjoy better days in a Hammers shirt, as he was starved of service from the outset against United and forced to compete for scraps against the athletic pairing of Eric Bailly and Phil Jones. Despite this, he never gave in or stopped running, while he completed three take-on attempts during the game. His willingness to drop deep in an attempt to influence proceedings during the last 20 minutes should also serve as a lesson to his teammates. 7

Subs:

Diafra Sakho – After replacing Noble on the hour, Sakho had a glorious chance to test De Gea when he was presented with a free header from a corner. He fluffed his lines by failing to direct his effort on target, and this was as good as it got for a player who looked short of match fitness and showcased little or no movement during his time on the pitch. 5

Declan Rice – The youngster has come to the fore during pre-season, and he acquitted himself relatively well after replacing Fernandes. Cool and collected in possession, he added some composure the Hammers midfield and managed to complete an impressive 95% of his passes (albeit without every truly penetrating the United defence). He is certainly a player to watch as the season progresses. 6

Aaron Cresswell – While Cresswell joined the fray with a little more than 10 minutes to go after replacing Masuaku, he looked assured and energetic in the closing stages. He also managed to attempt two crosses, as Hammers fans probably cannot wait to get him back in the side from the start. 6