The Premier League race comes to an end

The race for the English league has come to an end as Man city failed to win at Stamford Bridge tonight.

The reigning champions came into the game with hopes of holding out till Liverpool were announced champions however their hopes were dashed by a dazzling Chelsea team.

Man city played without Sergio Aguero who is out injured and without youngster Phil Foden who has been on hot form since after the break.

Chelsea started the game placing pressure on the City team who also seemed up to the task and kept a tight defensive line.

Chelsea however had a break on a counterattack from a City free kick. Pulisic got the ball from a mistake by Mendy and slotted it past Ederson

Pulisic scoring the fist goal for Chelsea

The City team upped their effort and they were rewarded with a free kick which was placed past the keeper by De Bruyne.

City kept pushing and was nearly rewarded by a Raheem Sterling chance but was denied by the bar.

Tammy Abraham was introduced in the second half replacing Giroud. He got an opportunity which was denied by the keeper.

The opportunity was later reviewed by Var and Fernandinho was found to have used his hand and a Penalty was granted to Chelsea. Willian took the penalty and gave Chelsea the lead.

Pedro has an opportunity to score a third goal for Chelsea but was denied by the keeper.

Tonights defeat mean Liverpool has won their first Premier League title after a 30 year wait.

Dortmund willing to spend $44 million on Fernan Torres

Several European clubs have placed Ferran Torres on their radar and Borussia Dortmund are willing to spend 40 million euros to acquire his services in the next transfer window

His release clause at Valencia is set at 100m euros, yet his contract ends in 2021 and the talented winger has turned down their latest renewal offer.

According to Bild, Dortmund are the first team to have made their interest known to the LaLiga Santander side.

Meanwhile, Manchester United, Liverpool, Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona are all keeping a keen eye on the 20-year-old as well.

If Valencia want to make profit from Torres‘ move, they may need to let him depart in summer to avoid losing him on a free transfer next year.

Tottenham willing to sell Kane to avoid financial crisis

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will sanction the departure of Harry Kane to Manchester United for a world-record fee of £200million because of financial worries and exasperation with England’s captain for going off-message during the coronavirus crisis.

Levy has made it clear that Spurs would agree to let Kane leave this summer.

Tottenham fear the financial repercussions of the current lockdown more than any other Premier league club because they are still paying for their new £1billion stadium.

It’s significant that Spurs were among the first top-flight clubs to furlough non-playing staff despite the negative publicity it attracted.

They reportedly owe £637m on the stadium loan and £83m on transfer fees. And Levy is understood to have been furious at Kane’s recent comments that the Premier League season should be voided if it wasn’t completed by the end of June.

That would have huge repercussions should television broadcast rights holders demand a refund from the Premier League although It is understood that Sky will not demand that the League repay the £371m they are owed.

Kane, who has been out since January with a hamstring injury, also suggested that it might be time to leave Spurs if they aren’t going to be winning trophies.

Former Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov, who made the move to Old Trafford in 2008, said: ‘I see a lot of similarities in the situation I went through and what is happening with Kane at the minute.’

Though Levy has been criticised in the past for not spending transfer money, Tottenham have splashed out more than £100m in the past 12 months on Tanguy Ndombele, Steven Bergwijn and Ryan Sessegnon.

It has left manager Joe Mourinho with a bloated squad and selling Kane is now gaining favour with the Spurs chairman as he plots the club’s post-coronavirus future.

The £200m asking price would beat the world record £198m that PSG paid Barcelona for Neymar in 2017.

The mooted amount would be optimistic in the current climate, though. But even if Spurs do not fetch their full asking price, Kane is sure to smash the British transfer record of £89m paid by United for Paul Pogba.

Liverpool give up on Sancho

Liverpool have no intention of getting involved in a bidding war with Man United for Jadon Sancho this summer.

The Borussia Dortmund attacking sensation is set to leave the club in the upcoming transfer window if his £100million-plus asking price is met.

A Liverpool source has revealed that Jurgen Klopp is a huge admirer of Sancho, 20, and would be interested in adding him to his team’s star-studded forward ranks

But Sancho is being priced out of the reach of the Merseysiders and it is not currently considered viable for him to move to Anfield this year.

Man United are in pole position to sign him this summer and have the funds to meet a valuation that is likely to defy football’s changed economics as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Dortmund have let it be known via intermediaries they want an initial £88m for Sancho rising to more than £100m including various performance-related add-ons.

That would secure an astronomical profit for a player the German giants signed from Man City for just £8m three years ago

During that time Sancho has developed into one of the most exciting and feared young forwards in world football.

He is a mainstay of a thrilling Dortmund front line and his 90 matches for the club have already yielded 31 goals and a remarkable 42 assists.

In this season alone, Sancho has scored 17 times from 35 matches and also supplied 19 assists.

Kobe Bryant inducted into the hall of fame

Kobe Bryant will be posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The five-time NBA champion died, aged 41, in a helicopter crash in January alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.

Los Angeles Lakers great Bryant retired in 2016; he was the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2008, was Finals MVP twice and earned 18 All-Star selections.

He was in the United States team that won Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Bryant’s death was “unspeakable” and the league was keen to “honour” him.

“Kobe Bryant is synonymous with NBA All-Star and embodies the spirit of this global celebration of our game,” Silver said.

“He always relished the opportunity to compete with the best of the best and perform at the highest level for millions of fans around the world.”

Tim Duncan, a five-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs, and Kevin Garnett, who helped the Boston Celtics win the championship in 2008, were also inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Muller renews Contract

Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has signed a two-year contract extension to stay at the club until 2023.

The 30-year-old Germany international has made more than 500 appearances and won 16 major honours with Bayern since his debut in 2009.

“This club is not just any old employer for me. It’s my passion,” said Muller, who has scored 116 Bundesliga goals.

“I’m happy that I’ll be here for two extra years, and I’ll give everything on and off the pitch.”

Bayern are four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, which has been suspended until at least 30 April because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m sure that once we’re playing again, we’ll continue to be very successful. That spurs me on,” Muller said.

Bayern’s players resumed training this week in groups of five.

Wayne Rooney believes Liverpool should win the title

Wayne Rooney believes Liverpool should be given the chance to finish the Premier League season and lift the trophy as champions.

The former Manchester United striker, who supports Everton, says not finishing the 2019-20 campaign after the coronavirus pandemic subsides would create too many problems, including “legal fights”.

Writing in the Sunday Times, the player-coach at Derby County also indicated it may take until the end of this year to do so, but that football must follow the governments advice on how to deal with the health crisis.

“Liverpool will win the Premier League,” he said. “Now, as you can imagine, I have Everton fans phoning me up saying: ‘The season has to be cancelled!’ And, of course, as an Evertonian and someone who played for Manchester United for 13 years, there’s a bit in me that thinks that would be good .

“But no. Liverpool have been fantastic. They have put so much work in. They deserve this title. Can you imagine waiting 30 years and then having it taken away like this? The right decision has been made.

“It’s also right in terms of promotion and relegation and Champions League places. These issues are so big for the clubs involved that I imagine there would be a lot of legal fights if the season was just abandoned.

“The fair thing is to finish 2019-20 – even if we have to lose next season in the process.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if finishing the season takes until the end of 2020. Football, like every other industry, is in unknown territory and, just like every other industry, has to listen to the advice and take all necessary precautions.

“For me, that rules out finishing the season behind closed doors.”

Ex Madrid president dies after contracting Coronavirus

Former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz died on Saturday after being taken to hospital with coronavirus.

Sanz, 76, was president at the Bernabeu from 1995-2000, a period in which Real won the Champions League twice.

“My father has just died,” wrote Sanz’s son Lorenzo Sanz Duran on Twitter.

“He did not deserve this end in this manner. One of the best, most courageous and hard working people I have seen in my life. His family and Real Madrid were his passion.”

Sanz signed players such as Roberto Carlos, Clarence Seedorf and Davor Suker during his time in charge of the 33-time Spanish champions, 

He lost the 2000 presidential election to Florentino Perez, which sparked Real’s big-spending ‘Galatico’ era.

Sanz’s son Fernando, 46, played for Real Madrid from 1996-1999 before spending the final seven years of his career at Malaga.

Tom Brady signs for Buccaneers

Six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady has signed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after leaving the New England Patriots.

The quarterback said on Tuesday that he is ending an unexpected 20 years of success with the Patriots.

The 42-year-old then announced on Friday that he is joining Tampa Bay.

“Excited, humble and hungry,” he said. “I’m starting a new football journey and thankful for the Buccaneers for giving me an opportunity to do what I love to do.”

Brady became a free agent for the first time this off-season allowing him to speak to rival teams from Monday before the free agency signing period opened on Wednesday.

He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time having won the Super Bowl more times than any other player – in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Brady has made a total of nine Super Bowl appearances and been named the championship game’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) four times – both NFL records.

He was named as the league’s MVP in 2007, 2010 and 2017, and is second on the all-time list for touchdown passes and passing yards behind New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

The Patriots had not won the Super Bowl before choosing Brady with the 199th pick in the 2000 draft but they now have a joint-record six Super Bowl victories – level with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Bucs have only won the Super Bowl once in their 45 years in the NFL and are owned by the Glazer family, who also control Manchester United.

Their general manager Jason Licht was a member of the Patriots’ scouting staff when Brady was drafted.

“Through this process it became very clear that his desire to be a champion burns as strong today as it ever has,” he said. “He possesses the type of rare natural leadership qualities that will immediately impact our entire organisation.”

Brady will replace Jameis Winston as the Bucs’ starting quarterback, with Winston also becoming an unrestricted free agent. The 26-year-old led the league last season with 5,109 passing yards and threw 33 touchdown passes but also 30 interceptions – becoming the first man to go 30 for 30 in the same season.

Brady’s switch to Florida is the biggest move at the start of free agency, although Todd Gurley, the NFL’s rushing touchdown leader in two of the past three seasons, has agreed terms with the Atlanta Falcons after being released by the Los Angeles Rams.

Premier League suspended

English football will be suspended until at least 30 April because of the continued spread of coronavirus.

All games in England’s Premier League, EFL, Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship, and all fixtures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, are currently postponed.

The Football Association has also agreed that the current season can be “extended indefinitely”. 

Under current rules the season had been scheduled to end on 1 June.

A joint statement issued by the FA, Premier League and EFL expressed “a commitment to finding ways of resuming the 2019-20 season” and completing

all domestic and European matches “as soon as it is safe and possible to do so”.

Last week, West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady said the current season should be declared null and void

FA chairman Greg Clarke also expressed his concern that it might prove impossible for the season to be concluded.

However Brighton chief executive Paul Barber told the BBC that it would be ‘unjust’if runaway leaders Liverpool were denied the title, and suggested increasing the league to 22 teams for 2020-21.

Fifa has also established a working group to tackle the issues facing football as a result of the pandemic. The group will look at the international fixture calendar, and issues around player contracts.

Player contracts typically expire on 30 June but many leagues, if resumed, look likely to continue beyond that date.

Paul Pogba sets Up fundraiser page for Corona Virus

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has set up a fundraising page and pledged financial support to Unicef to help children affected by coronavirus.

Paul Pogba has set up a fundraising page on Facebook to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, and said he will double the amount raised if the target of £27,000 is reached.

“The impact of a large-scale outbreak, especially on poor and vulnerable children, can be immense,” Pogba wrote.

“It’s my birthday and I’m always grateful that me, my family and friends are healthy. Nonetheless, not everybody is in good health right now.

“At times like this we need to come together.”

The money will be used to provide disposable gloves, surgical masks and vented goggles for health workers,.

Pogba’s appeal had raised over £2,000 within a couple of hours of being launched.

Cristiano Ronaldo Scores 700 Career goal

Cristiano Ronaldo cannot stop breaking records, and he added another on Friday night by bagging his 700th career goal against Ukraine.

Ronaldo reached the sensational milestone with a clinical penalty but he and his team-mates were unable to find an equaliser against the 10 men of Ukraine.

The 34-year-old has scored more career goals than any other active player in professional football, edging the 672 amassed by his former La Liga adversary Lionel Messi.

This season, Ronaldo has scored 11 goals from 12 appearances for club and country, having scored four for Portugal during a 5-1 win over Lithuania in the European Qualifiers last month.

Incredibly, he scored in excess of 50 goals for eight successive seasons between 2010/11 and 2017/18, before netting 31 last term after his summer switch from Real Madrid to Juventus.

In fact, the Juventus forward has now scored 95 goals for his country, just 14 fewer than his tally for Manchester United over six seasons under Sir Alex Ferguson.

But the bulk of his incredible haul came after his £80m move from Old Trafford in 2009, when he proceeded to score 450 goals in a Madrid shirt during a nine-year spell at the club.

In addition to being lethal from range, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner poses equal threat in the air from closer range with 127 headed goals to date – just two shy of the number he’s scored with his left boot.

He is now the sixth player to achieve that will he be able to surpass Pele’s goal scoring record?!

Joshua Recruits Navy Seals ahead of his Fight

Anthony Joshua has drafted in US Navy Seals to condition his responses to the seismic shock of being knocked down and semi-conscious.Just as he was by Wladimir Klitschko and only just recovered his senses in time to rescue his world heavyweight titles and his unbeaten record.

Just in case Andy Ruiz Jr catches him with a disorientating punch in Madison Square Garden tomorrow.Comrades of the elite unit who killed Osama Bin Laden have been preparing Joshua for any recurrence of his Wembley Stadium crisis by showing him photographs of soldiers who had been shot.

‘Then the military guy explained how they deal with that and how to control the situation,’ says Joshua. ‘Seals are put under enormous pressure to find out how they will react to extreme happenings.‘Say I have a plan to beat Ruiz but he comes out and clips me with one big shot. What’s the best I can do to get over it? It’s a lot to do with communication within your team, simplifying all our jargon and giving us a target to get us through these Saturday nights.

‘So now I’ve added a lot more information to all my experience down the years. It’s part of a lot of things I’m exploring to keep me improving. Keep me ahead of this one tough game.’ That includes recruiting a psychologist for the first time since he was with Team GB and winning Olympic Gold.

‘The psychology is fascinating,’ he says. ‘I got interested when I heard that Mike Tyson’s famous old trainer Cus D’Amato was also a psychologist and he got into Tyson’s mind.

‘You learn about how your brain reacts. Sometimes he works me with me one-to-one. Sometimes he works with my team without me and then they have to implement it with me.‘Then we debrief. We discuss strategy on a daily basis. We don’t wait until the end of camp and suddenly find out oh f***, we should have done this or that.

‘Better that we all sit round the table every day and be open and honest with each other. I talk about where I’m struggling a bit and everyone else does the same. We come up with the answers.

‘I’ve found myself asking my trainer Rob McCracken to do extra training at weekends instead of taking the days off. It’s to do with the way I am. If I am convinced I’m going to learn something I’ll put in the time. Otherwise not. Make me understand why we’re doing something and I give 100 per cent.

‘This is a better way than just turning up for training and then beasting myself to keep condition and focus.‘Everything we do now is for a purpose. I have four of the five championship belts but I’m still learning. For a week we might work on the right hand but are more creative about how we set up the punch. Just as importantly we enjoy it. We have fun. As a result I’ve got more energy.’ Joshua certainly is full of animated life here. He describes the Seals as ‘tough mothers’ but they have boosted his self-confidence.

Alexis Sanchez to make Movie Debut

Alexis Sanchez may have had a season to forget, but the Manchester United forward will be hoping he has more success with his debut film.

The 30-year-old stars in Mi Amigo Alexis, which is released in his native Chile on Thursday.

Executive producer Rocio Jadue told BBC Sport the film was Sanchez’s idea and filming took place last year.

“Everybody loves him [in Chile],” said Jadue. “He is considered a big hero.”

The film, from award-winning director Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, is not a biopic, but tells the story of 12-year-old Tito who accidently meets his idol Sanchez.

“The unexpected friendship between the child and the idol brings teachings for both: Tito discovers his true path in life and Alexis is reunited with the stories from his childhood that make him remember the reason why he loves football,” reads the film’s synopsis.

Sanchez, who is reportedly United’s biggest earner, has struggled with injuries and form since moving to Old Trafford in January 2018 from Arsenal and has been linked with a move this summer.

Chelsea Lift Europa League title

*Hazard Brace Blows Arsenal Away; Chelsea Win Europa League

Eden Hazard’s brace helped Maurizio Sarri claim his first major trophy as Chelsea crushed Arsenal 4-1 in the Europa League final in Baku on Wednesday.

In perhaps his final appearance before a mooted move to Real Madrid, star man Hazard struck two second half goals to confirm Chelsea’s second triumph in six seasons in this competition.

Olivier Giroud sparked the landslide against his former employers in the 49th minute before Pedro put a second past retiring Gunners goalkeeper Petr Cech.

Alex Iwobi pulled one back in between Hazard’s double but Arsenal faded horribly after half-time and, having finished fifth in the Premier League, are now consigned to another season outside the Champions League.

Now we wait for who will lift the Champions League.

Valencia Shock Barcelona to win 8th Copa del Rey

Valencia Shock Barcelona to Win the Copa del Rey

Valencia are the new Copa del Rey champions after beating Barcelona and denying the Blaugrana a fifth consecutive cup success.

After their woeful Champions League capitulation against Liverpool, Barcelona sought to placate their frustrated fans with a domestic double having wrapped up the league title with three games to spare in April.

But goals from Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo handed the champions a shock defeat at the Benito Villamarín Stadium that piles more pressure on Ernesto Valverde – with Lionel Messi’s effort with 18 minutes left nothing more than a consolation.

The Catalans could have won their fourth domestic double in five years on Saturday but it was not to be.

Liverpool produce Europe’s greatest comeback

Liverpool produced the greatest comeback in the club’s European history by beating FC Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield to reach the 2018-19 Champions League final.

Trailing 3-0 from the opening encounter in Spain six days ago, the Reds’ hopes of overcoming the Spanish giants on aggregate were alive, yet slim, at kick-off.

But Jürgen Klopp’s remarkable team achieved what many considered impossible courtesy of two goals apiece from Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum on a scarcely believable night in L4.

And so Liverpool will contest a second successive Champions League final, facing the winners of the other semi-final between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid on June 1.

Barcelona, meanwhile, crashed out of the Champions League by blowing an enormous lead for the second consecutive season in unbelievable fashion. 

After Origi’s first goal in the opening minutes, Liverpool’s dominance continued. The team was stronger on the ball, looked more confident and never gave up, and in the second half everything went right.

Minutes after coming on, Wijnaldum finished this ball inside the box to make it 2-0, leaving Liverpool a goal away from potentially forcing extra time:

Then just three minutes later, Wijnaldum did it again with a header goal:

As the match seemed destined for extra time, Liverpool caught Barcelona napping with a corner kick incoming. Trent Alexander-Arnold walked away from the ball as if he was giving up the set piece, but then he quickly saw Origi all alone and took it, setting up an absolutely jaw-dropping fourth goal:

With that, the comeback was complete and Barca fell short of its goal, as it has done each of the last four UCL seasons. 

Messi scores 600 Club goal

Lionel Messi has reached another milestone in his legendary career, hitting his 600th goal for Barcelona with a wonderful free-kick against Liverpool in their Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

Messi scored number 599 earlier in the match, pouncing on a rebound from a Luis Suarez shot and walking the ball in, before curling home a lovely strike for his 600th moments later. 

The Argentine becomes just the seventh player in history to reach the 600-goal mark at the club level, though he was beaten to the milestone by eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Ronaldo and Messi, who have dominated world football for the last decade, are joined on the exclusive list by Brazilian legends Pele and Romario, Germany’s Gerd Muller, Slavia Prague hero Josef Bican and Hungarian Ferenc Puskas. 

Messi’s first goal for Barcelona came exactly 14 years ago, on May 1, 2005, against Albacete . He has since grown into arguably the biggest star in the game, having won the Ballon d’Or on five occasions, 10 La Liga titles and the Champions League on four occasions. 

At 31, Messi is also a five-time winner of the European Golden Shoe and claimed the World Cup Golden Ball at the 2014 tournament in Brazil. 

His performance on Wednesday leaves Barcelona in prime position to add to that remarkable haul. 

The club have already won La Liga this season and reached the Copa del Rey final, while a 3-0 result against Liverpool leaves them on the verge of reaching the Champions League final, though a trip to Anfield for the second leg remains. 

It also continues a trend for Messi of dominance over English teams in European play. 

The Barcelona star has netted 26 times in just 33 matches against Premier League clubs in the Champions League, the best haul for any one player against any country in the competition, though he does share that record with Ronaldo, who has netted 26 times against German clubs. 

Barcelona will travel to Liverpool next Tuesday for the return leg, and should they progress they will face either Ajax or Tottenham in the Champions League final in Madrid on June 1.

Tiger Woods completes sports greatest Comeback

Tiger Woods completed a comeback from personal and professional adversity on Sunday, capturing his fifth Masters title and his 15th major tournament with a victory that snapped a decade-long championship drought and instantly returned him to the top of the sports world.

It was a monumental triumph for Woods, a come-from-behind victory for a player who had had so much go wrong on the course and off after his personal life began to come apart on Thanksgiving night in 2009.

As such, it was only fitting that after he walked off the 18th hole on Sunday, his one-stroke victory secure, his path to the official scoring office was gridlocked with well-wishers, including many of the golfers he vanquished over four grueling days at Augusta National Golf Club.

Woods triumphed in almost stoic fashion, playing with shrewdness and determination over the final stretch of holes while the other players who were grouped with him on the leaderboard took turns succumbing to the pressure of trying to win the Masters.

And although Woods did bogey the final hole, he did so with a two-stroke lead, victory in sight and the knowledge that he could give one of those strokes back and still win the tournament.

Only when he tapped in his final putt did Woods let loose with a joyous shout that revealed how much the victory meant to him.

Tiger Woods after winning the Masters

At 43, Woods became the second-oldest winner of the Masters, behind Jack Nicklaus, who won here in 1986 at age 46 and who holds the record for victories in major tournaments, 18. And Woods’s victory immediately reverberated beyond golf and, for that matter, sports.

The win even led to a rare moment of agreement between President Trump and former President Barack Obama. “What a fantastic life comeback for a really great guy!’’ the President said on Twitter. “To come back and win the Masters after all the highs and lows is a testament to excellence, grit and determination,’’ Obama posted.

Manchester United back to winning ways

Manchester United edge over West Ham with two Penalties from Paul Pogba.

Manchester United were victorious against West Ham United in their latest league bout .

Pogba had given the Reds a 19th-minute lead from the penalty spot but former City boss Manuel Pellegrini’s side wouldn’t lie down and came back to level in the second half through Felipe Anderson.

The Hammers almost went ahead, when substitute Mihail Antonio hit the crossbar and was then denied by a world-class save from David De Gea, but fortunately another spot-kick award got United out of jail. After his compatriot Anthony Martial was brought down, Pogba scored again with ten minutes to go to secure three points and keep the Reds on the coat-tails of Chelsea and Spurs.

West Ham had started the game as the more composed of the two sides and the more dangerous.

The Londoners thought they’d taken a 10th-minute lead through Felipe Anderson as he smashed in a Chicharito knockdown from close range. But the goal was quickly cancelled out as the referee’s assistant flagged for offside.

There was naturally disappointment for the visitors but seemingly few complaints at the decision.

The Reds had been getting a few crosses into the box but it always seemed to be the diminutive Juan Mata who was in the prime position, with little chance of connecting. But the service was more to the Spaniard’s liking when Anthony Martial passed to his feet inside the area after 17 minutes. Just as Mata went to strike the ball, he was taken out by a strong challenge from Snodgrass.

Referee Graham Scott had no doubts it was a spot-kick, despite the derision from the Hammers’ travelling support, and Pogba put all his power behind his hit as he beat goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski with a piledriver virtually down the middle of the goal.

It was just the settler United needed after some difficult early moments. West Ham, though, were not downbeat and still caused the Reds some heart flutters at the back.

It was something of a disappointment that Pogba’s opener did not fire the Reds as expected and there was a fruitless struggle to get a second goal before the break, with only a wild effort from Diogo Dalot and a header from Chris Smalling giving some encouragement for the crowd.

West Ham, fortunately, didn’t produce much themselves with just an off-target swipe from Anderson and then a superb run down the right from the Brazilian that saw his low shot-cum-cross kept out by David De Gea’s outstretched leg.

The Reds were culpable when the West Ham equaliser finally came early in the second half.

Like the first 45 minutes, the visitors began the more confident of the two teams. But when De Gea gathered the ball in the 49th minute, it should have been the start of the Reds launching an attack.

However, the Spaniard bowled out a ball that was too heavy and caught Pogba by surprise. West Ham seized possession and their counter attack ended when Manuel Lanzini floated a cross to the far post and an unmarked Anderson steered home.

Solskjaer’s reaction to the leveller was to bring on Marcus Rashford for Mata in the 55th minute.

The sub’s introduction almost paid immediate dividends and credit to Chris Smalling as he burst forward out of defence to put the striker in with his pass. Rashford thrashed in a low shot that keeper Fabianski couldn’t hold and the ball squirmed away almost across his goalline with the loose ball crying out for a tap-in.

Rashford’s arrival was proving a potential match changer with the Mancunian then heading just over into the Stretford End after 63 minutes as the Reds began to look far more threatening.

The initial spark began to fade and Solskjaer made a double substitution in the 75th minute in a bid to lift his labouring side once again; Mason Greenwood and Andreas came on for Romelu Lukaku and Marcos Rojo.

West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini made his own changes with Antonio coming on for Chicharito before Solskjaer’s swaps, and then Zabaleta made way for Fredericks.

But it was Antonio who made the biggest impact and rattled the Reds when his scorching shot had the cross bar shuddering and then a header needed a brilliant flip over the bar from De Gea to stop the Hammers going in front.

The double threat woke the hosts up and when Martial was clumsily brought down by Fredericks, the Reds were awarded another penalty.

Pogba versus Fabianski take two ended with the same result as the French midfielder crashed in from 12 yards to seal a much-needed win.

Manchester United are traveling to the camp Nou during the week and this win might as well be a big boost them.