Man United a title contender after West Ham win? Maybe Pep Guardiola was right: they are back

MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester United bushed West Ham United connected Sunday, 1-0, astatine Old Trafford successful Premier League action.

Although shots connected extremity were adjacent betwixt the 2 sides (three each) and Manchester United's possession borderline wasn't overwhelming (54%-46%), the quality came down to a Marcus Rashford extremity successful the 38th minute.

- Report: Man United-West Ham | Premier League table | Upcoming fixtures

Man United are present unbeaten successful their past 5 league matches (and their past 8 including the Europa League).

ESPN's Rob Dawson has absorption and investigation from Old Trafford.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Post-match quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. Could Man United truly situation for the title?

Pep Guardiola says Manchester United "are back" -- but could they truly endanger to gate-crash the rubric contention erstwhile the play restarts aft the World Cup?

After their 1-0 triumph implicit West Ham astatine Old Trafford connected Sunday, they are up to 5th successful the table, 8 points down leaders Arsenal, and person lone mislaid erstwhile successful the league since August.

United were made to enactment for the effect against West Ham but defended good successful the 2nd fractional to support a 5th cleanable expanse successful their past six games. Goals are inactive not flowing but the determination for the victor -- a one-two betwixt Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen followed by a determined header from Marcus Rashford -- deserved to determine the game.

David De Gea needed to marque 3 fantastic saves astatine the extremity to warrant the points but Lisandro Martinez besides played his portion with a fantastic antiaircraft show successful the mediate of the backmost 4 alongside Harry Maguire, who started a league crippled for the archetypal clip since the 4-0 decision astatine Brentford. On a antithetic time United would person had to settee for a constituent oregon worse but rubric challenges are built of gritty performances and this was one.

Maybe Guardiola has a point.

2. Rashford scores successful beforehand of Southgate arsenic World Cup determination looms

Rashford brought up 100 goals for United with a slug header astatine the backmost post. A time earlier his 25th birthday, helium drove past Thilo Kehrer to people from a Eriksen cross, delightfully clipped successful connected the fractional volley.

It was Rashford's 2nd headed extremity successful 4 days aft scoring arsenic a substitute against FC Sheriff connected Thursday, but this 1 was successful beforehand of England manager Gareth Southgate, who was watching from the directors' box. With the World Cup conscionable 3 weeks away, Rashford has recovered signifier astatine the close time.

Dropped by Southgate past season, the guardant faces a tense hold earlier uncovering retired whether oregon not he's going to Qatar -- but with goals similar the 1 helium got present astatine Old Trafford, he's fixed himself a bully accidental of making the squad. As agelong arsenic helium stays fit, he's astir a certainty to go.

It's a antithetic communicative for Jadon Sancho. Also dropped by Southgate past season, helium was connected the seat against West Ham with Ten Hag favouring Anthony Elanga connected the close of his beforehand 3 contempt wounded sidelining Antony. If helium can't get into United's squad adjacent erstwhile determination are injuries, he's got small accidental of making England's last squad.

3. West Ham marque Ten Hag nervous

West Ham are inactive recovering from a nightmare commencement to the play but it won't beryllium agelong earlier they're backmost successful the apical fractional of the table. After starting with 3 consecutive defeats, David Moyes' squad are gradually rediscovering the signifier which saw them decorativeness seventh past play and they mightiness consciousness they deserved much from their travel to Manchester.

Their winless tally successful league games astatine Old Trafford present stands astatine 15 but determination were spells, peculiarly successful the 2nd half, wherever they were the amended team. It was an indicator of however tense Ten Hag was getting connected the touchline that helium made an aboriginal alteration aft half-time, bringing connected Scott McTominay for Elanga and pushing Fernandes retired of the right-hand side.

It helped United soak up a spot of unit but they inactive needed Diogo Dalot to support good astatine the backmost station to caput wide 3 unsafe crosses and besides De Gea's heroics astatine the end.

It didn't assistance West Ham's quest for a extremity that erstwhile it came clip for Moyes to bring connected Michail Antonio helium had to bring disconnected Gianluca Scamacca -- who was fortunate to flight reddish paper for a head-high situation connected Martinez -- alternatively of pairing playing some of his main strikers together.

Player ratings

Man United: De Gea 8, Dalot 7, Shaw 6, Maguire 6, Martinez 8, Casemiro 7, Eriksen 7, Fernandes 6, Elanga 6, Rashford 7, Ronaldo 6.

Subs: McTominay 6, Fred 6.

West Ham: Fabianski 6, Kehrer 6, Cresswell 5, Zouma 6, Dawson 6, Rice 7, Soucek 6, Downes 5, Benrahma 7, Bowen 5, Scamacca 4.

Subs: Areola 6, Antonio 6, Fornals 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Lisandro Martinez, Manchester United

He was pushed adjacent by De Gea, but Martinez had a batch of covering to bash playing adjacent to a intelligibly rusty Maguire and defended brilliantly each afternoon.

WORST: Gianluca Scamacca, West Ham United

Booked for a precocious situation connected Rashford, Scamacca was fortunate to enactment connected the transportation aft a precocious situation caught Martinez successful the caput and was substituted moments later.

Highlights and notable moments

Marcus Rashford enactment Man United up successful the 38th minute, and it was a beauty.

Take your prime arsenic to which portion you enjoyed more: Rashford's flying decorativeness for the header, oregon Christian Eriksen's lofted scoop walk into the box:

After the match: What the players and managers said

Check backmost shortly...

Key stats

• With his extremity connected Sunday, Marcus Rashford has go the 22nd subordinate to people 100 goals for Manchester United, and the team's archetypal subordinate to deed this milestone since Wayne Rooney successful 2009.

Up next

Manchester United: Ten Hag's broadside person a engaged 14 days up earlier the league pauses for the World Cup. After a Europa League travel to Real Sociedad (Nov. 3), they instrumentality connected Aston Villa (Nov. 6) successful the league and EFL Cup (Nov. 10) earlier closing with a travel to Fulham (Nov. 13). If they tin stay connected people connected each fronts, determination volition beryllium origin for optimism going into the festive period.

West Ham: Moyes' men besides look a European game, EFL Cup third-round necktie and 2 league fixtures earlier things unopen down for Qatar 2022. After going to FCSB (Nov. 3) successful the Europa Conference League and a league day with Crystal Palace (Nov. 6), they conscionable Blackburn Rovers successful the home cupful (Nov. 9) anterior to what should beryllium a spicy clash against Leicester City.