Team Ratings: Hull City vs Manchester United 26/12/2013

1. David De Gea - 6 - A mixed bag. Hard to put him at fault for the goals but could have given one away when he came out of his net to collect a dropped punch and ended up way out of position. However, he made up for this with a fantastic save to deny Chester the chance to equalise in stoppage time.

2. Rafael - 5 - Was replaced inside 20 minutes after picking up a groin strain.

12. Chris Smalling - 6 - Like the rest of the defence he started slow but improved as the game went on. Also scored United's first goal with a good header.
6. Jonny Evans - 5 - Looked shaky, especially at the beginning of the game and ended up deflecting the ball in for their second after he had already failed to clear. Got better as the game went on but a poor personal performance in general.
3. Patrice Evra - 5 - Struggled all afternoon and was out jumped for Hull's first. 

25. Antonio Valencia - 6 - Was pushed to right back after Rafael hobbled off and did well generally, linking up nicely with Januzaj. Almost spoilt the comeback though when he picked up a needless yellow card for kicking the ball away.

23. Tom Cleverley - 6 - Not his best game but he saw a brilliant curled effort saved and worked hard throughout.

24. Darren Fletcher - 6 - Played an hour and was tidy on the ball. Another good step forward for the Scottish midfielder.

18. Ashley Young - 7 - Another decent performance as he grabbed an assist for the winner.

10. Wayne Rooney - 9 - Once more proved that he is United's main man, getting an assist for the first that started the fightback and then the all-important equaliser with a sublime strike. He also put Chester under pressure for him to put it in his own net for the winner. A class act as always.
19. Danny Welbeck - 7 - Worked hard and linked up well with Rooney.

Substitutions-

44. Adnan Januzaj - 7 - Replaced Rafael. Changed the game, won the free kick that gave United their first goal and caused Hull all sorts of problems.

14. Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez - 5 - Replaced Fletcher. Made a couple of wrong decisions but that probably comes from a lack of playing time. 

16. Michael Carrick - 5 - Replaced Young. Didn't have too much time on the ball but United fans will be relieved to see him back.

Match Report: Hull City vs Manchester United 26/12/2013

Chester's own goal ensures that it's a Christmas cracker at the KC Stadium as United come from 2-0 down to secure 3-2 victory against Hull.

United travelled along the M62 in hope of securing their fifth win in a row on Boxing Day, whereas hosts Hull were without a win since their impressive victory over Liverpool at the start of the month. Steve Bruce's side have been tough to defeat at home though, with Crystal Palace being the only team to take home three points from the KC Stadium so far this season.

Darren Fletcher made his first start for a year in the centre of United's midfield as Phil Jones picked up a knock in the win over West Ham. Michael Carrick also made a return on the bench but Robin Van Persie was left out again. Hull were unchanged for the fourth consecutive Premier League match with Warrington-born centre-back James Chester facing his former side after spending four years in the youth team at the start of his career.

Chester could not have believed his luck when Hull made the early breakthrough inside four minutes as he was allowed space in the box to volley home from a corner. United felt aggrieved that the corner was even given as it appeared that Elmohamady had put the ball out of play rather than Cleverley. It could not excuse their poor defending though, as Bruce rose to beat Evra to Huddlestone's ball in and was allowed to head it down for Chester. Chester was then given time to volley it in unmarked from a couple of yards for his first goal of the season and only his fifth during his time at the KC stadium.

It was the perfect start for former United Captain Bruce's side and it got even better when less than ten minutes later they doubled their lead after more poor defending from United. Meyler showed skill to get the ball out to the left to Sagbo whose ball in then fell back to Hull's number 7. He hit it poorly but Evans failed to clear, giving Meyler a second opportunity to hit it. He did and it took a slight deflection off the Northern Ireland defender to wrong-foot De Gea and put Hull two goals ahead. It was scrappy but was no more than they deserved as United looked sluggish and sloppy throughout the opening stages.

In the 18th minute David Moyes suffered more bad news as he was forced to make an early substitution when Rafael was unable to continue after sustaining a knock. He was swiftly replaced by Januzaj as Valencia took up the Brazilian's spot in defence. The change actually helped to improve the away team though, as Januzaj caused Hull problems with his quick feet. United certainly looked more impressive after the change, putting their poor showing from the first twenty minutes behind them and attempting to get an early goal back before half time.

It didn't take long either, as Januzaj won a free kick that Rooney swung in from the right for Smalling to head past McGregor. It looked a routine set piece from the England pair as Smalling got above Davies to nod in with ease. United then began to press for the equaliser and went close through efforts from Welbeck and Cleverley. The first was another header off a Rooney free kick that was well blocked by Chester. Cleverley's effort was a curling shot from outside the box that had to be palmed behind by McGregor.

The Hull stopper couldn't keep out United's next chance though as Rooney got the equaliser moments later with a fabulous strike. The move started with a lofted ball upfield from Evans that was controlled by Rooney and flicked ahead to Welbeck. Welbeck held the ball up before it came back to Rooney, who tee'd himself up with his knee before smashing it home from 25 yards out with a volley that looped over the head of McGregor and into the net to put United back on terms.

It was a thoroughly entertaining first half and the second 45 minutes provided more of the same with both sides looking to get a third goal and go ahead in the tie. Hull made two changes at half time as McGregor and Meyler went off to be replaced by Harper and Koren. Hull's best opportunity in the second half came when manager's son Bruce headed against the underside of the bar following a corner. United were let off though as the rebound fell for Evra in the box and he acrobatically cleared the ball to safety.

Hull were left to rue that golden chance when United then went up the other end and got the winner. What started off as a brilliant day for Chester turned into a miserable one as he couldn't deal with Young's cross in from the right and he headed past Harper to give his old club the lead for the first time in the match.

To the host's credit they never gave up and after United got their third they kept going looking for the equaliser and caused some dangerous moments amongst the United defence. One mix-up saw De Gea way out of position as he came out to collect a dropped ball from a punch out, Graham got it round the keeper but the defence crowded him out before De Gea finally got a foot on it to clear.

Hull then had a one man advantage going into injury time as Valencia received a needless second yellow card for kicking the ball away inside United's half following his foul on Huddlestone. Hull capitalised on United's lack of cover in the right back position and created their final chance to end the game level deep into injury time when Boyd put Chester in with a through ball on the right inside the box. The defender's touch was poor but he still should have found the net with his shot but unfortunately for him his miserable afternoon continued when De Gea made a brilliant save with his stomach to keep the effort out.

United showed great resilience to come back from 2 goals behind to win the match but Hull impressed throughout and can take many positives from this performance before their next game, again at home, to Fulham on Saturday. Moyes' men travel to Norwich where they will be without Valencia through suspension and Jones through injury. It is not known whether Rafael will miss the trip after limping off in the first half of this match but one thing's for sure, United need another three points in their final game of the calendar year if they are to continue to rise up the table and secure a top 4 spot in May.

Match Report: Manchester United vs West Ham United 21/12/2013

Fairytale of new Young: Winger scores for the second time in two games during substitute appearance as United hammer visitors West Ham 3-1 in festive clash at Old Trafford.

Two teams in high spirits after each reaching the Capital One Cup Semi-Finals took to the Old Trafford pitch today as Manchester United looked to take some positives from their last two performances in order to avoid a third successive home loss in the League and gain victory over West Ham. The Hammers face Manchester City in their Semi-Final in January but Sam Allardyce's men had this trip to the North West to contend with first as they looked to join teams like West Brom and Newcastle in securing historic victories at The Theatre of Dreams.

David Moyes made two changes from the side that won at the Britannia Stadium in mid-week as Wayne Rooney returned for United, replacing Anderson. He played up front alongside Danny Welbeck as Robin Van Persie remains sidelined with a groin injury. Their other change came as goalscorer Ashley Young dropped to the bench with Adnan Januzaj taking his place on the left wing. Sam Allardyce handed a start to former United player Ravel Morrison, who had made three substitute appearances for the reds before completing a move to Upton Park. Spaniard Adrian was chosen in goal for the away side as he made his League debut to keep Jussi Jaaskelainen on the bench for the second time this week.

It didn't take long for United to test the Hammers' goalkeeper as they started with intent, winning a corner through Rooney inside the first minute. Januzaj played a short corner, completing a one-two with Rooney before sending a cross into the box that eventually found Cleverley, who hit it first time from 6 yards out. Adrian got down low to his left and made a brilliant save to help justify his first League start. 

Adrian was called upon again in a busy opening twenty minutes for the Spaniard as Valencia then forced another good save from him with a drive from a tight angle just outside the box on the right. United eventually managed to get the ball past him though, as Jones took a quick free kick inside the West Ham half to set Welbeck on the path towards goal. Welbeck spotted Rooney immediately and played a delightful ball to the number 10 with a delicious flick on. Rooney, enjoying a playmaker role in a deeper position, then picked up the pass and carried it into the box before returning it to his fellow England striker Welbeck to bury into the net with a fine finish.

United had a penalty shout turned down when Januzaj was felled by Noble in the box but the youngster wasn't fazed by the West Ham players' claims he had dived as he then went on to put United 2-0 up moments later. Rooney started the move as he won the ball off a dithering Collins, Welbeck then collected it and gave it to Januzaj on the wing who played a lovely one-two with Welbeck and made a darting run into the box to gather the return pass. The 18 year old showed great composure to fool Collins and cut inside onto his right foot before bending a wonderful shot past Adrian for his first Old Trafford goal.

Januzaj was involved again before half time as he was then found guilty of diving and booked by referee Mike Jones. Replays showed it was the correct decision and United fans will be hoping that the young Belgian can eradicate this from his game as it was a shame for him to spoil an otherwise classy first half individual performance.

The second half saw Januzaj at the heart of the action again early on but this time for the right reasons as he supplied a wonderful cross in from the left that bounced just in front of Welbeck and had to be cleared with a diving header by McCartney. Rooney and Januzaj then displayed great link up play and understanding again when a one-two from the corner allowed the former to cross for Evans. The Northern Ireland defender made good contact with a header but the effort was cleared off the line by Noble to keep the scoreline at 2-0.

Welbeck was replaced by Hernandez just before the hour mark when he picked up a slight knock and the Mexican was almost on the score sheet immediately as he had a well-taken goal wrongly ruled out for offside. Valencia played him in with a through ball and it looked like he was being played just on but it was ruled out to ruin what would have been a brilliant substitute's goal. However, United did eventually get their third through a substitute in the 72nd minute as Young, on for Januzaj seconds earlier, continued his goalscoring form from Wednesday with a fantastic strike to put the home team 3-0 ahead.

The move for the goal was started when a brilliant pass from Rafael had found Valencia in space down the right which gave him time to cut the ball back for Rooney. Rooney then claimed his second assist of the day as he controlled the ball on the turn and laid it off for Young with a delicate touch that allowed the newly confident winger to curl a sublime shot into the top corner with his first touch of the ball.

McCartney escaped a red card for a nasty challenge on Hernandez late on but West Ham finally gave their travelling fans something to cheer about inside the last ten minutes when a through ball from Maiga left Cole clean through on goal and onside after poor defensive positioning from substitute left-back Buttner. Cole was one-on-one with De Gea who could do little to stop the shot as it went straight through his legs and into the net to give the away team a slight consolation. The Hammers then had a late shout for a penalty turned down when a shot from Morrison appeared to be blocked by the arms of Cleverley just inside the box. It would have been a harsh decision to give it though as it seemed difficult for him to get out of the way of the effort and had the away side scored from the resulting spot kick the scoreline would have been a poor reflection on a game where United were rarely troubled in defence.

The game ended 3-1 to United to give them some momentum going into a busy period of matches. Their next challenge is a trip to Hull City on boxing day where Moyes and his men will be hoping for a late Christmas present of three points to help them climb further up the table.

Team Ratings: Manchester United vs West Ham United 21/12/2013

1. David De Gea - 6 - Couldn't do much about the goal. Had nothing to do really. Good distribution out to the full backs.

2. Rafael - 7 - Got forward more than he has in the last couple of games. Seems to be getting his fitness back and put in some dangerous crosses although was sometimes wasteful in the final third.

12. Chris Smalling - 8 - Growing in this role with every game. Was composed and confident, developing a decent partnership with Evans.
6. Jonny Evans - 7 - Took a couple of knocks in the first half but came out for the second and battled through. Remained solid throughout.
3. Patrice Evra - 6 - Linked up well with Januzaj and then Young when he came on. Didn't have a lot to do at the back.

25. Antonio Valencia - 6 - It was a little hit and miss for the Ecuadorian today, he could have had a goal but sometimes he made the wrong decision in the final third. His decision to shoot rather than play Jones in on goal ended in West Ham's break for their consolation goal.

23. Tom Cleverley - 7 - Another energetic performance. Put in some good tackles as well as keeping possession well in the middle.

4. Phil Jones - 8 - Put himself all over the pitch as usual. Reads the game well and made some crucial interceptions.

44. Adnan Januzaj - 7 - Scored a brilliant goal but faded as the game went on, which is understandable as he's still learning his trade.

10. Wayne Rooney - 9 - Played in a deeper role and was at the heart of everything. Claimed two assists and went close with a free kick in the first half.
19. Danny Welbeck - 7 - Scored the opener with a great finish but unfortunately got a knock so had to be taken off in the second half.

Substitutions-

18. Ashley Young - 7 - Replaced Januzaj. Seemed in confident mood and scored another beautiful goal.

14. Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez - 6 - Replaced Welbeck. Another lively cameo, scored but it was ruled offside.
28. Alexander Buttner - 4 - Replaced Evra. A lack of concentration meant he played Cole onside for West Ham's goal. Poor.

Team Ratings: Stoke City vs Manchester United 18/12/2013

1. David De Gea - 6 - Could have stayed at home he had that little to do.

2. Rafael - 6 - Gave Valencia the support needed and made some good runs. Little to do defensively.

12. Chris Smalling - 7 - Kept Crouch quiet and was rarely troubled. Comfortable throughout and was a threat in the air too.
6. Jonny Evans - 7 - Continually impressive and composed. Another fine performance. Maybe should have scored though.
3. Patrice Evra - 7 - Capped a quiet night in defence off with a superb finish with his wrong foot. 

25. Antonio Valencia - 6 - Was lively but struggled to find the quality final ball needed. Worked tirelessly though and is definitely gaining some of his confidence back.

23. Tom Cleverley - 8 - Kept United ticking over well and started off some good attacking moves. Needs to keep it up.

4. Phil Jones - 7 - Got stuck in well in the centre although a quiet game by his standards.

8. Anderson - 5 - Seemed to struggle. Whether that be due to the conditions or because of a lack of match fitness it was hard to tell but United certainly looked much better when he was replaced.

18. Ashley Young - 8 - His best performance for a while. Scored a brilliant goal and seemed to grow in confidence afterwards, also grabbing an assist. We'll see if he can keep it up.
19. Danny Welbeck - 6 - Worked hard in the difficult conditions but was largely isolated up top on his own.

Substitutions-

14. Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez - 6 - Replaced Anderson. Showcased some good movement and got an assist. Lively.

24. Darren Fletcher - 6 - Replaced Welbeck. Didn't have much to do when he came on but great to see him get some minutes on the pitch. 

Match Report: Stoke City vs Manchester United 18/12/2013

United rain supreme in Stoke as stunning strikes from Young and Evra send them through to League Cup Semi-Final.

Manchester United were looking to build on their thumping win over Norwich in the last round of this competition and knock out Stoke City after The Potters had scraped through to the Quarter-Finals on penalties against Birmingham. Mark Hughes' side will have taken confidence though, from the fact that they have never been beaten in a cup tie at home against United- although the red devils had been victorious in the last four meetings between the sides.

Wayne Rooney picked up a groin injury in training that ruled him out of the tie leaving Danny Welbeck to lead the line after his brace against Aston Villa at the weekend. Stoke were still without Robert Huth and Matthew Etherington who missed out with knee and back injuries respectively.

United made the best start of the two teams on a wet and windy night as they created the game's first chance inside the opening three minutes. Young latched on to a through ball from Welbeck but he couldn't keep his shot on target and it went into the side netting. Inside ten minutes Stoke's Cameron then went on a good cross-field run but his shot on the United goal was also off target and sailed over the bar. 

United's first shot on target came through Anderson after a good move involving Cleverley and Welbeck. The resulting shot was poor from the Brazilian midfielder who is notorious for his lack of finishing and his effort was collected easily by Sorensen in the Stoke City goal. It was a game of few chances early on and the biggest highlight of the match came when referee Mark Clattenburg stopped the game on 28 minutes due to unplayable weather conditions. The visibility had become very poor due to the amount of hail falling on the pitch and the players were taken back to their dressing rooms until the referee felt it was fit to continue. This meant a 10 minute delay in play that actually served to help the teams regroup as the game seemed to benefit from the stoppage and became a more entertaining display after the re-start. 

The away side went close to taking the lead right at the end of the half when Cleverley's corner was flicked on by Smalling and almost allowed Evans to stab the ball home. However, Sorensen was alert to the danger and ensured he got to the ball first to deny the defender a rare goal. United brought on Hernandez for Anderson in a bid to make the breakthrough in the second half and shortly after Welbeck had headed a good chance over the bar, they got the vital goal they needed. Young picked up the ball and played a one-two with Hernandez on the edge of the Stoke box, the England winger then hit a stunning first time shot that swerved over the helpless Sorensen and into the net to give United a deserved lead just after the hour mark.

Stoke tried their best to reply but their best chances came from good crosses that nobody could get contact on, notably a superb one from Pieters on the left that just missed Walters sliding in in the box. United continued to press for the second though and were rewarded when Young, confident from his goal, fed in Evra who had made a lovely run into the box. The Frenchman remained composed, sidestepped an onrushing defender and coolly finished with his right foot into the top right corner of the goal.

Hernandez, who had clearly made an impact from the bench, then had a chance to score yet another goal against The Potters after scoring five goals against them since he arrived in England. However, it wasn't to be as he couldn't make proper contact with the ball after Valencia had drilled in a dangerous cross from the right. The whistle then went that meant United progressed to the Semi-Final after a deserved win that came from two classy second half goals. They will be hoping for more of the same in their two games against Sunderland, their next opponents in the two-legged Semi-Final.

Team Ratings: Aston Villa vs Manchester United 15/12/2013

1. David De Gea - 7 - Made a couple of smart saves and stood his ground during a spat with Agbonlahor.

2. Rafael - 7 - Showed great determination to put in a brilliant cross to create the opener. Supported Valencia well and kept Agbonlahor quiet throughout.

4. Phil Jones - 8 - Although rarely troubled this was a fantastic, commanding performance from Jones. He fought for every ball and won almost all of his challenges and headers.
6. Jonny Evans - 7 - Looked comfortable throughout and showed good distribution. Definitely deserves to be starting alongside Jones as their partnership looked impressive.
3. Patrice Evra - 7 - Although untested for large periods he remained composed and made some good interceptions. Also linked well with Januzaj down the left.

25. Antonio Valencia - 8 - A fantastic display. Looked confident and caused Luna all sorts of problems. Crossed for Welbeck's second and was a threat all afternoon.

23. Tom Cleverley - 8 - Kept possession well, completing 94% of his passes. He got a well deserved goal early in the second half with a nice finish after an energetic display that should see him be United's first choice midfielder in the absence of Carrick.

11. Ryan Giggs - 6 - Helped to control the game and the tempo. Taken off after playing his second game in a week.

44. Adnan Januzaj - 7 - A quiet game overall for the youngster as United got more joy down the right but his header allowed Welbeck to tap in for the first and he was always looking to cause Villa problems. Another promising display.
19. Danny Welbeck - 8 - Proved that he can do the job in his natural position with two good, instinctive finishes. A powerful performance.

10. Wayne Rooney - 7 - Was integral to the win, dropping deep to help out the midfield and helping create up front. He went close to scoring himself but his highlight was the perfect pass he gave to Cleverley for United's third goal.

Substitutions-

18. Ashley Young - 5 - Replaced Januzaj. Not much to do.

24. Darren Fletcher - 7 - Replaced Giggs. A really nice cameo where he looked comfortable and kept the ball well. Great to see him back.

29. Wilfried Zaha - 5 - Replaced Rooney. Came on for 6 minutes and didn't do a lot.