Manchester United 1, West Ham United 1: Dimitri Payet wondergoal not enough for Hammers but Slaven Bilic backs them to win FA Cup quarter-final replay
Manchester United 1, West Ham United 1
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has warned Manchester United to expect an FA Cup replay defeat in east London after Anthony Martial’s late equaliser denied the Hammers a famous victory at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Playmaker Dimitri Payet set the visitors on course for a spot in the Wembley semi-finals with a 30-yard free-kick, the latest in a collection of breathtaking strikes to grace his debut season in England.
France forward Martial, however, drew United level and ensured they remain in the hat for tonight’s draw when he stole in between two defenders to convert Ander Herrera’s cross at the back post.
“Manchester United are a different team when they play away and don’t have that confidence,” said Bilic. “Here, it is very hard to play with 75,000 fans and this atmosphere. It [the replay] is going to be a tough game, but I fancy us because we’re going to be even more confident.
“We could have held on for 1-0 and on counter-attacks I was expecting to create one, two or three more clear-cut chances. Our dressing room was, and still is, very silent. I’m not over the moon but it means we are moving in a good direction.”
Under-fire United boss Louis van Gaal said West Ham had benefited from extra rest while his side had been depleted by a “nasty week” that included Thursday’s Europa League defeat against Liverpool.
“We have played a game against Liverpool on Thursday and they had the whole week to prepare and we could come back and show a big revival,” he added. “I have to give a lot of compliments to my team.”
Payet’s free-kick looked too far out to trouble David de Gea but the £10m summer signing from Marseille left even the United goalkeeper clutching at thin air with the pace and precision of his 68th-minute set-piece.
Martial joined his compatriot on 11 goals for the season when he levelled seven minutes from time, bursting into a crowded goalmouth adroitly steering an awkward looping cross past Darren Randolph.