Erik ten Hag has highly praised four Manchester United players after the Red Devils overcame a deficit to defeat West Ham and advance to the FA Cup quarterfinals.
Said Benrahma gave the Hammers the lead, but Nayef Aguerd’s terrible own goal gave the Red Devils the equaliser in the 77th minute. Alejandro Garnacho’s long-range strike into the top corner gave United the victory in the dying seconds.
Fred scored a third for the Red Devils shortly after, tapping in from close range to secure their quarterfinal match against Fulham in the round of eight. Harry Maguire, who impressed upon his return to the club, was one of the four players that were praised by Ten Hag after his team’s comeback victory after the game.
Garnacho was also singled out for praise by Ten Hag for his performance. The Argentine sparkled on the left flank and gave West Ham difficulties all night with his speed and movements. With his fourth goal in a United jersey, the 18-year-old polished off an outstanding performance.
Erik ten Hag was happy with his team for showing a winner’s mentality until the very last minute. As reported by the Mirror, the Dutch boss said:
“Harry Maguire had a good game, [Tyrell] Malacia, [Marcel] Sabitzer, and of course Garnacho especially second half.
“It was not easy as we have seen. After Sunday, it is never easy after a cup celebration and of course you have to get back to business as usual. That was our task, we did it and found a way to win. Our resilience. It was magnificent and great from the team.”
“I had a strong feeling that we could win the game, and you could see the belief and the composure. There was never a moment of panic and we had bad luck with the first goal being disallowed.”
The Red Devils emerged victorious against a team that looked confident throughout the game. David Moyes’ side were the better side in the first half but couldn’t hold until the end.
Whereas, Ten Hag’s side lacked the end product in the first half, but their substitute players changed the entire scenario after coming in the next half of the match. Casemiro and Fred continued to show their dominance in the middle of the field. Meanwhile, Garnacho’s recent performances indicate that his parent club will be working tirelessly to secure his future.
United will be aiming to tie Garnacho to a new lucrative contract as soon as possible.
