Manchester United’s team is loaded up with players performing at a very high level right now, and this was evident in the victory over West Ham at the weekend.
Top scorer for the season Marcus Rashford scored the winner, after a superb cross from assist leader Christian Eriksen.
Casemiro was immense in midfield, while Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martinez were outstanding in defence, and in goal, David de Gea made the vital saves to protect the team’s clean sheet.
There was not room for all of them in BBC Sport‘s team of the week, made up of top performers from all 10 Premier League matches.
Two Manchester United players named
There were two Manchester United players picked by pundit Garth Crooks in the BBC team of the week, and David de Gea was not one of them.
He selected Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford, and said he was also impressed with Lisandro Martinez, who made his selection the previous week.
Crooks said of Dalot: “If there was a header to be made, he made it. He defended brilliantly and at times in very difficult circumstances. United are now just one point outside the top four and looking like a proper team again.”
With Rashford scoring his 100th Manchester United career goal, Crooks said he believed the forward should now be in the England squad for the World Cup, saying of Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate: “He’d be a brave man to leave him out.”
De Gea snub bizarrely explained
David de Gea made the biggest impact of any Manchester United player in the second half against West Ham.
But there was no spot for him in the BBC XI, with Garth Crooks explaining: “David de Gea played his part although all his saves I expected a keeper of his class to make.”
That certainly seems a little harsh to us. A couple of the late saves De Gea made really were outstanding, and would have been conceded by most goalkeepers. But De Gea has set such high standards, that it is easy to suggest Sunday was just a routine game for him.
Crooks selected City’s Ederson, who made five saves in their 1-0 away win over Leicester.
United are moving up the table and can go level on points with third placed Tottenham by winning the game in hand we have. Unfortunately this us unlikely to be played until 2023.
Next up is Real Sociedad away in the Europa League, with United needing to win by two clear goals to top the group.
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