Chapter 391: Another Crucial Moment
In the last week of November, Manchester United faced two consecutive matches against West Ham United.
On the afternoon of November 27th, in the 13th round of the Premier League, Manchester United hosted West Ham United at Old Trafford.
Last season, under rock 'n' roll manager Slaven Bilić, the Hammers finished 7th in the league, with French midfielder Dimitri Payet shining brightly, becoming a hot commodity in European football.
However, in Bilić's second season, Payet lost some of his magic, and West Ham's performance was poor. After 12 rounds, the Hammers were 17th in the standings, just one point above the relegation zone, always at risk of dropping into it.
Given Manchester United's overwhelming dominance against West Ham at home in the Premier League, with 17 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses, the Red Devils might have been somewhat complacent in their preparations.
West Ham took the lead just 90 seconds into the game. Payet delivered a free-kick from the right, and Sakho headed in from close range, outjumping Ibrahimović.
Falling behind, United ramped up their attack, while West Ham retreated to defend.
In the 21st minute, United equalized. Bruno delivered a cross, and Ibrahimović flicked the ball into the net with a header, evading Collins' defense.
The game then entered a stalemate, with the score remaining unchanged until the 85th minute. At that moment, Mourinho made his final substitution, bringing on Fellaini for Lingard.
This was not a defensive change, as the Belgian midfielder played upfront alongside Ibrahimović, forming a double striker formation.
Facing West Ham's solid defense, Mourinho resorted to a direct approach with crosses and headers in a last-ditch effort.
In the 88th minute, Bruno passed to Mata, who then found Rashford. Rashford broke through on the flank and delivered a cut-back to Bruno.
From a tight angle, Bruno suddenly shot, catching West Ham goalkeeper Randolph off guard, the ball slipping past him into the net.
United, with Bruno's 16th Premier League goal of the season, completed the comeback and held onto the lead until the end, maintaining their 5-point advantage over Chelsea in the standings.
Three days later, on the last night of November, United faced West Ham again at Old Trafford, this time in the League Cup quarterfinals.
Ibrahimović scored the opening goal just 94 seconds in. Rooney provided a through ball from the center circle, Gündoğan flicked it on with his heel, and Ibrahimović slotted it home, although he was injured by a tackle from Adrian and couldn't celebrate.
In the 35th minute, West Ham equalized. Obiang made a long pass from the right, Payet shot powerfully from the left, causing De Gea to spill the ball, and West Ham's young forward Ashley Fletcher, a product of United's youth academy, pounced to score from close range, making it 1-1.
This was Fletcher's first goal for West Ham in 11 appearances since his summer transfer.
United started the second half just as they had the first, scoring 137 seconds after kickoff. Valencia made a heel pass from the right sideline, Gündoğan laid it off in the box, and Rashford scored from 11 meters out, putting United ahead again.
In the 57th minute, Rashford nearly scored another. Ibrahimović's through ball found Rooney, who passed it into the box, but Rashford's shot was saved by Adrian.
Five minutes later, Rashford scored his second goal. Ibrahimović's pass found Valencia on the right, who crossed low for Rashford to tap in from 7 meters, making it 3-1.
United then made substitutions to preserve energy for upcoming matches. In stoppage time, they scored a fourth goal. Schweinsteiger's volleyed pass found Herrera, who broke through Ogbonna's tackle and set up Ibrahimović to score from 6 meters, sealing a 4-1 victory.
This win secured United's place in the League Cup semifinals. In the draw, United were paired with Hull City, while Liverpool faced Southampton. United's semifinals would be on January 10th and January 26th, with the first leg at home.
On the afternoon of December 2nd, FIFA announced the three finalists for the 2016 FIFA World Player of the Year: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Bruno Fernandes.
This outcome was widely anticipated. That summer, Ronaldo led Portugal to the European Championship. He also helped Real Madrid win their 10th Champions League title.
Bruno also had an outstanding year, leading Udinese to their second Serie A title and then helping Manchester United dominate the Premier League. He also shone in the European Championship, winning the Golden Boot and being named the best player, playing a crucial role in Portugal's triumph.
Messi, despite winning domestic titles with Barcelona, had fewer team honors this year compared to his rivals.
Observers believed Messi's chances of winning were slim, with the real competition between the Portuguese duo, Ronaldo and Bruno. The final result would be announced on January 9th.
Similarly, the competition for the 2016 Ballon d'Or, to be awarded on December 12th in Paris, was expected to be a showdown between Bruno and Ronaldo. This year, the Ballon d'Or was separated from FIFA's awards, with changes to the selection process and voting rights.
United's first match in December was on the 4th, away at Goodison Park against Everton in the 14th round of the Premier League.
This was the penultimate match of the round, with the other top teams having already played.
Manchester City lost 1-3 at home to Chelsea, suffering their third defeat of the season. Chelsea, with their eighth consecutive win, were led by Conte, who remained modest, stating that Chelsea were not title favorites yet.
Tottenham thrashed Swansea 5-0 at White Hart Lane, and Arsenal demolished West Ham 5-1. However, Liverpool lost 3-4 to Bournemouth in a thrilling match.
Chelsea's winning streak put pressure on United, as any slip-up could reduce their lead to less than one match.
Both Everton and United players were confident before the match. Everton striker Lukaku expressed optimism in interviews, saying, "United are strong, but we are not weak. We can beat any team at home."
Everton captain Baines also showed confidence, saying, "We know United are great attackers, but we won't let them score easily."
In response, United's Ibrahimović stated, "Our strategy is simple: we will use our strongest attack to defeat the opponent!"
Bruno also expressed his determination, "Victory is our only option. To win the league, we must win every match. There's no other choice."
Captain Rooney kept it short and sweet, saying, "Yes, we will win," before walking away.
Managers Koeman and Mourinho were more cautious. Koeman downplayed the home advantage, saying, "Before the game ends, I don't know who will win. We will give our all for 90 minutes or more."
Mourinho echoed this sentiment, stating that United would take the match seriously.
The fans were equally excited, with the 40,000-seat Goodison Park sold out. Over 2,000 United fans traveled to support their team, with the rest being Everton supporters.
(End of Chapter)
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