Better than Soungoutou Magassa, Nuno Espirito Santo unshackled West Ham monster vs Man United
Soungoutou Magassa stole the headlines as West Ham rescued a point at Old Trafford, but he was not the only star to foil Man United’s plans.
During Andrew Kitchen’s third Premier League game in charge, there was a slow tempo on Thursday, 4 December, with supporters having to wait until the 58th minute for the opening goal.
All fingers pointed towards victory for the Reds Devils, only for Magassa to pop up with a goal seven minutes from time, with the Hammers almost stealing all three points in the final seconds.
While the draw keeps the Hammers in the relegation zone, it was a step in the right direction from Nuno Espirito Santo’s team, with multiple positives to focus on.
Soungoutou Magassa steals the spotlight at Old Trafford
Labelled a “destroyer” by Gary Neville, Magassa played out his best performance in a West Ham shirt since arriving in the summer, with fans raving about the Frenchman.
The 22-year-old won the most duels (11) in the match, winning a total of four fouls, making eight recoveries, and five interceptions, as well as unleashing two shots [FotMob].
He deservedly earned the Player of the Match award at Old Trafford, but because of him stealing the spotlight, one of his teammates’ displays went completely under the radar.
Although Nuno’s defence was carved open a couple of times by a bright Man United attack, they kept the seal tight for the majority of the game.
Jean-Clair Todibo finally realised his potential in West Ham draw
The Hammers certainly have Jean-Clair Todibo to thank for that, even despite his overall struggles at the London Stadium since arriving from Nice.
While his stats do not scream anything special, winning his only tackle, 50 per cent of his ground duels, and making nine clearances [FotMob], he was integral during the draw.
Ultimately, it was his pace and positioning that meant the Frenchman did not need to get involved in tussles, often beating his opponent to the ball before.
Todibo has already been linked with a West Ham exit, mainly due to his mistakes under Graham Potter, but Nuno appears to be getting the very best out of him.
With Max Kilman benched, the 25-year-old stepped up significantly, and that did not go unnoticed at the Theatre of Dreams.