* Paul Pogba lasted only 70 minutes before being substituted
* Record signing Anderson scored a brilliant fifth-minute flick
* Yarmolenko's shot deflected off Lindelof for an own goal
* Rashford struck back with a fine volleyed flick for United
* Arnautovic ran through United's porous defense to make it 3-1
* United remain eight points off the lead
* West Ham at Brighton next, Manchester Utd host Newcastle
WEST HAM UNITED 3 MANCHESTER UNITED 1
London, Muharram 19, 1440,
Sep 29, 2018, SPA -- Manchester United's troubled season hit a new low on
Saturday as Jose Mourinho saw his gamble on introducing a new tactical system
backfire with an insipid 3-1 defeat to West Ham United in the Premier League.
After a week in which he had
dropped Paul Pogba as vice-captain and seen his men ousted from the League Cup,
Mourinho watched United's faint title hopes dwindle further at the London
Stadium with a new-look set-up but the same old prosaic fare.
Pogba was so ineffectual that he was substituted after 70 minutes but long before that Mourinho's unfamiliar 3-5-2 line-up had been found wanting as record signing Felipe Anderson scored his first Hammers' goal with an audacious back-foot flick after just five minutes.
Pogba was so ineffectual that he was substituted after 70 minutes but long before that Mourinho's unfamiliar 3-5-2 line-up had been found wanting as record signing Felipe Anderson scored his first Hammers' goal with an audacious back-foot flick after just five minutes.
Andriy Yarmolenko's shot
deflected off Victor Lindelof for an unlucky own goal just before the break but
though substitute Marcus Rashford gave the visitors hope with a clever volleyed
71st-minute flick, Marko Arnautovic waltzed between United's central defenders
minutes later to seal victory.
Man United's 10 points
equals the club's worst return after the first seven matches of any season in
the Premier League era, heaping more pressure on Mourinho, whose brand of
football seems to be delivering neither points nor pleasure to United's fans.
United also had 10 points at this stage of the 2013-14 season but had a superior goal difference, so this year represents their poorest start in the top flight since 1989-1990.
Mourinho, whose uncomfortable-looking system featured a midfielder, Scott McTominay, playing on the right of a three-man defense, said he had no problems with the players' attitude but did question their quality and "mental fragility".
Suggesting that Pablo Zabaleta was offside when he delivered the cross for Anderson's opening goal, Mourinho told BT Sport: "I have no complaints with the players' attitude; I can have some complaints with some quality, with some mental approach in certain duels."
United also had 10 points at this stage of the 2013-14 season but had a superior goal difference, so this year represents their poorest start in the top flight since 1989-1990.
Mourinho, whose uncomfortable-looking system featured a midfielder, Scott McTominay, playing on the right of a three-man defense, said he had no problems with the players' attitude but did question their quality and "mental fragility".
Suggesting that Pablo Zabaleta was offside when he delivered the cross for Anderson's opening goal, Mourinho told BT Sport: "I have no complaints with the players' attitude; I can have some complaints with some quality, with some mental approach in certain duels."
He praised McTominay as
"brave" and "the best" of his players with his quality on
the ball but the 21-year-old never looked completely at home in his new role.
Mourinho left Alexis Sanchez out of the squad and gave Anthony Martial a start. He explained: "People have been asking for 'Martial, Martial, Martial', people are saying Alexis Sanchez is not playing well enough, so this week I was trying to agree and to say 'let's give a chance to Martial and let's leave Alexis out'."
Mourinho left Alexis Sanchez out of the squad and gave Anthony Martial a start. He explained: "People have been asking for 'Martial, Martial, Martial', people are saying Alexis Sanchez is not playing well enough, so this week I was trying to agree and to say 'let's give a chance to Martial and let's leave Alexis out'."
The switch proved in vain
with both Martial and Romelu Lukaku, who headed against the post in the first
half, proving largely ineffective.
-- SPA
18:25 LOCAL TIME 15:25 GMT
0014
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