Max Kilman is surely finished at West Ham after what happened vs Man United
West Ham secured a priceless Premier League point away to Manchester United, thanks to Soungoutou Magassa’s late leveller.
Magassa produced a flawless performance against Man United and sent the away fans into delirium with his first top-flight goal.
The Frenchman was one of several who starred at Old Trafford, including captain Jarrod Bowen, who wowed Slaven Bilic with his lung-bursting runs and purposeful dribbling.
Arguably most important of all, Nuno Espirito Santo’s defence stood firm throughout the 90 minutes when the floodgates normally open after conceding.
Max Kilman is finished at West Ham
West Ham have conceded the second-most goals of any team in the league this season (28), with only Wolves shipping more.
But in recent matches, signs have emerged that Nuno’s philosophy is finally rubbing off on the players, as the Hammers have looked much more solid.
That is largely because Nuno dropped Max Kilman against Liverpool after his poor long-term performances, while introducing a centre-back pairing of Konstantinos Mavropanos and Jean-Clair Todibo.
Mavropanos recently returned from a leg injury suffered against Brentford, whilst teammate Todibo is starting to show why West Ham paid £36million for him during the summer.
| Jean-Clair Todibo | Stats vs Manchester United | Konstantinos Mavropanos |
| 90 | Minutes played | 90 |
| 9 | Clearances | 8 |
| 3 | Recoveries | 3 |
| 2 | Blocked shots | 2 |
| 2 | Interceptions | 1 |
| 1/1 (100%) | Aerial duels won | 3/3 (100%) |
The duo were instrumental in the heart of Nuno’s defence, and with Magassa offering protection in front, United rarely looked like scoring past the visitors aside from the goal.
Encouragingly, it looks like a partnership could be blossoming in defence, and that is bad news for the out-of-form Kilman.
Nuno praises West Ham’s defence vs Man United
It’s a shame that Aaron Wan-Bissaka is soon leaving for AFCON duty alongside teammate El-Hadji Malick Diouf, as half of Nuno’s defence will be dismantled.
Mavropanos and Todibo were incredible against Man United, but so were Wan-Bissaka and Diouf, offering energy and dynamism down both flanks.
Unsurprisingly, Nuno praised his defensive line for their performance post-match and name dropped his right-back.
“He (Aaron Wan-Bissaka) did good, he was good, I think our defence today was OK,” Nuno said. “The goal that we concede comes from a rebound, nothing to do with organisation – the covers were there, the hard work was there.
“I think all the defensive line was very, very, very positive. It’s important (the point) because it’s a tough place to come and we are proud that we achieved something. It could have been three, I felt that we had good momentum, Man United of course also had chances but we can’t change anything.”
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest West Ham United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @westhamzone247