Thanks to a penalty kick following a lapse in judgment by Manchester United left back Patrice Evra, West Ham United have a surprise 1-0 lead after 11 minutes at Upton Park. While the relegation threatened Hammers haven’t had a great season, they’ve actually been very good at home lately, so it’s not too stunning that they’re giving Man United a serious run for their money. However, this goal came from very little skill on their end, and was much more the product of Manchester United mistakes.
West Ham United Vs. Manchester United: Hammers Lead On Penalty
The first mistake that started the move was made by Chris Smalling, who failed to step up with his teammates on a long ball and kept Carlton Cole onside. This made it easy for the Hammers striker to run onto the ball and take it into the box, relatively uncontested. The Red Devils’ defense recovered sufficiently, but when Cole attempted to chip the ball up in the air, Evra made a boneheaded decision and stuck his hands straight up in the air. The ball struck his hand, and Lee Mason correctly granted the penalty, which Mark Noble stepped up to convert.
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