The Hammers were struggling in the Premier League and were even involved in a relegation battle at one point last season.
Follow Us
West Ham United had plenty of reasons to look back at last season fondly. The biggest of the lot was the Europa Conference League triumph. The win over Fiorentina in the final ended their long wait for the trophy, something not many anticipated at the start of that campaign. However, the Hammers defied the odds to perform impressively well in Europe to end the season with a trophy. But the same cannot be said about their domestic form.
The Hammers were struggling in the Premier League and were even involved in a relegation battle at one point. With the league season coming to a close, West Ham United welcomed Manchester United in a crucial game for both sides. While the hosts were fighting for safety, the Red Devils were chasing a top four finish. With a lot on the line, West Ham stunned the much-fancied visitors to win the game 1-0, courtesy of a fortuitous strike by Saïd Benrahma, which largely came from a mistake by former United goalkeeper David De Gea.
Defender Thilo Kehrer, who played as a right-back on that day, believed it was his best showing for West Ham. “My best performance, I would say, was the home game against Manchester United near the end of last season. Saïd Benrahma scored for us and we all but saved ourselves from relegation with that win,” Kehrer told Official Matchday Programme.
He added: “It was a very special game for me; a very emotional one and I felt like I played really well that day. It’s special when you are under pressure and you perform well and you deliver. That day, I think a lot of things came together for us and I think we were on point. I feel like, as a team, that was our best game across the whole season.”
The German spoke about the challenges he had faced on the right wing against fast and quality United attackers. “I was playing right-back which I think is a bit self-explanatory in terms of what was required of me. As a defender, you always want to keep the clean-sheet, not concede any goals, and keep the opposition attackers out with as much passion and heart as we can. I feel like I did that against Manchester United, and the whole team did that too,” he said.
“When those 1v1 situations occur against Manchester United, you have players like Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Antony and Jadon Sancho coming at you. They are top-class players so you need to be at your best and perform all your defensive jobs at the top level. I think that’s something we did really well,” the defender added.
Even though the winning goal came in a lucky manner, Kehrer believes they were good value for the three points. “We had good possession and combinations with the ball, and we had chances to score two or even three goals. At the end of the day, Saïd got the goal for us that made the difference and I know people will talk about David De Gea when it comes to that one. Maybe that one was a bit lucky but we certainly had the chances in the game to score goals and we deserved the win,” he explained.
More Football Stories:
Wataru Endo news: Why did the Japanese midfielder decide to join Liverpool in the summer?
Manchester United news: How can the Red Devils turn their season around? Scott McTominay responds
Premier League: Which players have scored the most goals in a single season?
EPL stats: Which clubs have conceded the most last-minute winners in Premier League?
EPL stats: Which clubs have scored the most number of last-minute winners in Premier League?
How long will Kevin De Bruyne be out injured? Pep Guardiola responds
