United draw with West Ham, secure 2nd place in EPL

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English Premier League giants Manchester United were held to a drab goalless draw by West Ham to secure 2nd place in the current season. United were denied a win by a spectacular Hammers goalkeeper Adrian in their penultimate game at London Stadium

A tepid first half saw a slew of chances created by both the sides. United forward Alexis Sanchez forced a good save from West Ham keeper Adrian, while West Ham’s Marko Arnautovic looked dangerous on a few occasions.

United playmaker Paul Pogba was off the mark a few times before being involved in a controversial incident towards the fag end of the game. The France midfielder was booked for kicking out at West Ham captain Mark Noble, who was also shown a yellow card as he appeared to grab the French midfielder by the neck during the scuffle.

West Ham United's Mark Noble clashes with Manchester United's Paul Pogba. /VCG Photo‍

The lackluster draw against 15th place West Ham, however, helped United, 19 points behind champions Manchester City, moved four points clear of third-placed Tottenham Hotspur with one league game left.

In his post-match press conference Mourinho said: “Any team that goes to this kind of match where you need something to get some objective, you fight for that."

"The best way to fight for a point was to try to win the match and be safe which is what we tried but when the game goes to minute 75, you don't win, you don't lose," he added. "You do the job, you get the point, you finish second and you can face the game on Sunday with a different perspective.”

In an attempt to end break their silverware jinx in this trophy-less season, United will take on Chelsea in the FA Cup final on May 19.

“We deserved the second position and when it's not possible to be champion, the second position is the best position available which is what we got,” remarked the mercurial manager, known as the Special One.

His counterpart and former United manager David Moyes sounded satisfied. “I thought the players showed a great attitude because sometimes when you get safe you can sometimes slip away from it. But, I thought the players were at it the whole night and put in a great performance and got us a good point and I thought a thoroughly deserved point as well,” Moyes mentioned.