Manchester United had to battle really hard to defeat West Ham in the FA Cup fifth round, with two late goals required to seal a 3-1 victory.
Alejandro Garnacho was the man of the match, deservedly so, however, a player who needs a bit of attention is Tyrell Malacia.
Malacia is one of those who was unlucky not to be called upon in the Carabao Cup final. He has been terrific this campaign whenever he has been called upon, ever since his first loan start against Liverpool.
The summer signing from Feyenoord was back in the starting line-up against West Ham, and was one of Manchester United’s best players.
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Big Malacia performance
Tyrell Malacia managed to shut West Ham down on the left side in the second half, and as the game went on, he frequently joined the attack.
Erik ten Hag previously said how Malacia is the best full-back he has at tucking in and joining the midfield, and he did this frequently against West Ham, giving United an extra man when going forward.
Malacia frequently won the ball back, giving United intensity. He won seven out of seven tackles contested, and eight of nine duels overall.
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The left-back also made five interceptions, making 78 touches in total.
He also demonstrated his savviness, refusing to give the ball back to West Ham late on when they were awarded a throw-in, allowing his teammates to get back into their own half.
Luke Shaw missed the game with a knock, and Malacia could end up starting at Anfield this weekend. This performance showed he will be ready.
The Dutchman was buzzing with the performance after the win, understandably so. He worked hard towards it, and deserved to finish on the winning side.