West Ham United against Manchester United

Etherington runs at the heart of the United defence and wins his side a corner when Ferdinand is forced to tackle and put the ball out.

Rooney is brought down again, this time by Etherington. He has a moan to the referee, who smiles and ignores him.

United look well capable of seeing out the remainder of the game and picking up the three points that will take them up to third.

Rooney is booked for a rather wild kick at Gabbidon after being frustrated by the defender's clumsy challenge on the edge of the area.

Repka gets forward down the right as West Ham search for a goal, but his cross is poor and Park clears.

Benayoun fires a long ball down the left channel for Zamora to chase, but he runs out of pitch and the ball rolls out of play.

Van Nistelrooy is caught off-side as West Ham push up and leave a lot of space in behind their back four.

Rooney is coming deep for the ball, and is showing great skill and vision to keep things moving for United in the middle of the park.

Benayoun powers a header narrowly wide, as Brown clatters in to him inside the penalty area.

After a moment or two with the physio, the Hammers winger is hobbling around on the touchlines once more.

Etherington needs some treatment on a calf injury after he is kicked in a tackle.

SHOT! A nice move from the home side. Benayoun finds Harewood on the edge of the area, but his shot is weak and easily gathered by Van Der Sar.

Carroll does very well to get his fingertips to the ball as Van Nistelrooy attempted to round him.

West Ham are having a good spell with the ball at the moment, but they are struggling to carve out any decent chances.

Scholes charges down Benayoun's attempted cross on the right wing. United have defended really well this afternoon.

Rooney turns and smashes a shot across the face of goal, though it didn't trouble Carroll.

West Ham corner, though Brown heads clear Etherington's centre.

SUBS: Sheringham and Mullins off, Zamora and Dailly on. Pardew attempts to get his side back in the match as he brings on the pacy Zamora.

CROSSBAR! Van Nistelrooy finds the ball at his feet after a great passing move from the visitors; his attempted chip beats Carroll, but bounces back off the bar.

Still no sign of Zamora, though he still waits on the touchlines.

Good tackle from Nobel on Rooney as he tried to pass out wide to Fletcher.

Etherington shows good determination as he wins a throw for his side, deep in the United half.

SHOT! Van Nistelrooy sends over a low cross to Rooney after a mistake by Ferdinand, but his low shot is slightly deflected and ends in the arms of Carroll.

Repka uses his strength to hold off Park and run the ball out of play in the corner.

West Ham prepare to make a change; Zamora looks to be ready to come on as the home side search for an equaliser.

OVER! Park and Rooney are picking holes in the West Ham defence. The loose ball falls to O'Shea at the far post, but he can't keep his shot down as he tries to place it over Van Der Sar.

Rooney pulls away from Gabbidon; he is found by Scholes' pass, but his shot is blocked by the retreating West Ham defender.

Scholes blasts his shot goalwards, but it is straight at the West Ham wall and the home side try to break forward.

Neville is pulled by Mullins on the edge of the penalty area, and referee Bennett gives the visitors a free-kick.

Some more inventive link-up play leads to Scholes clipping a cross to the far post, though it's over Rooney's head and drifts out for a goalkick.

...But the full-back blasts his shot high over the bar. Very wasteful.

Sheringham and Konchesky stand over the ball...

West Ham win a free-kick when Scholes is adjudged to have handled Harewood's flick, 30 yards out.

Van Nistelrooy can't quite direct his header goalwards after he had found a couple of yards of space at Rooney's free-kick.

Benayoun does well to turn Scholes inside his own half; he runs at the United defence, but Harewood doesn't help him by failing to make a decent run.

United have been very good today; some of their link up play has been top drawer, and Rooney is looking in great form.

So, United surge in front after a great start to the second half. Carroll should have done a lot better with the corner, but O'Shea out-jumped him and thumped the header home.

GOAL! O'Shea powers home a header from Rooney's corner, with Carroll flapping hopelessly inside his own six yard box.

ALMOST! Rooney dances his way past two West Ham defenders; instead of shooting, he tries to cross, and Gabbidon is forced to put the ball out for a corner.

The pace of the game has picked up greatly in the second half; both sides are pressing forward in numbers as the game is opening up.

Benayoun clips a left-foot shot just over the bar after pouncing on a loose ball following a good interception from Brown inside the penalty area.

ROONEY! Rooney comes to close to completing United's comeback as he has two attempts at blasting past Carroll from close range.

Sven Goran Eriksson is spotted in the Upton Park crowd. He looks thoroughly bored.

Harewood requires treatment for a bump to the head.

Harewood goes down after an aerial challenge with Brown as they jumped for a header.

West Ham face a tough battle in this second half now that United have equalised; the visitors are going to come very strongly at them as they search for a winner.

Konchesky is in very quickly to intercept Rooney's pass out to Fletcher on the right.

Repka gave the ball away very cheaply in the build up to United's equaliser, and Park slid a great pass in to Rooney in the area before the young striker drilled the ball under Carroll.

GOAL! Rooney does brilliantly as he side-steps Ferdinand before driving a low shot under Carroll.

Anton Ferdinand rises high to head Scholes' corner away from his brother.

Fletcher gets forward down the right, sends over a low cross, but Gabbidon is on hand to put the ball behind for a corner.

No changes at half time, though if the scoreline stays as it is, I expect Ferguson to bring Ronaldo on sometime soon.

Eventually the home side return, and get the second half underway.

United emerge on to the pitch first. The home side are some moments behind.

HALF-TIME: The visitors have been much the better side, but West Ham lead through Harewood's superbly-taken first-minute strike.

Good determination and committment in the tackle from Etherington wins his side a throw as the ball ricochets off Neville.

Hammers boss Pardew is seen making some notes on the touchline. He will want his players to do a little more with the ball in the second half; they haven't really threatened Van Der Sar too often.

Repka takes his time over a throw; West Ham will be desperate to get in at half-time with the scoreline as it is. This would be a massive win for them.

SAVE! Carroll makes his fourth save of the afternoon, although he perhaps should have dealt better with Rooney's low shot; he palmed it back in to a dangerous area, and Repka is forced to put the ball out for a corner.

OVER! Sheringham slices a volley a couple of yards over the bar from just outside the area. Van Der Sar didn't look too concerned as it passed him.

Repka sends a long throw in to the United area, but they defend well and head clear.

West Ham have got better as the half has gone on; they are defending better now, and are keeping hold of the ball in possession.

Sheringham is booked for rather cynically blocking Park as the United man tried to break in to the space behind a poorly-positioned Repka.

Silvestre has looked shakey this afternoon, especially when he has come up against the strength of Harewood.

SUB: Silvestre is replaced by Neville. I didn't see an injury for Silvestre, so perhaps it was a tactical decision from Ferguson.

Another Silvestre mistake almost proves costly; instead of heading a high ball clear, he attempts to glance it to O'Shea. It falls to Sheringham, though his attempted shot is blocked.

Van Der Sar is very cool as Harewood sprints towards him to try and block a clearance; the Dutch keeper shows good skill to dummy one way before going the other and calmly clearing with his left foot.

West Ham win a throw, down near the corner flag on their right hand flank. Benayoun hurls the ball in, but Ferdinand heads clear.

Van Nistelrooy is booked for a poor challenge on Anton Ferdinand. The yellow cars is the United captain's fifth in the Premiership this season, and he will now miss the Everton game.

Harewood shows good strength to hold off Silvestre; he easily turns the United defender but Van Der Sar is quickly out of his box to sweep up.

Rooney asks for another penalty when his attempted cross strikes the arm of Anton Ferdinand, just inside the area. Again, referee Bennett turns down his appeal.

Sheringham and Harewood combine well, 30 yards out. The veteran slides it out to Benayoun, but his cross from the right is blocked on the edge of the area.

Rooney goes down inside the penalty area under a challenge from Repka, but the referee turns down his penalty claims.

United have played really well this half, but have nothing to show for it.

Smith makes a good tackle on Sheringham as the veteran was attempting to slide a pass out to Benayoun.

Konchesky puts the ball out for a corner; he wasn't under a lot of pressure as Van Nistelrooy flicked the ball in to the area, but the defender took a safety-first approach.

Repka puts in a good tackle on Park on the touchline. The Czech international tries to take the throw quickly, though the referee deems it should go the other way.

The corner is only half-cleared, but Konchesky blasts his left-foot shot a few yards over from just outside the box.

Sheringham whips in a dangerous cross, and Ferdinand is forced to head out for a corner.

United break at pace through Park and Rooney, but Mullins tracks back to intercept the final ball.

Silvestre heads back to Van Der Sar as Harewood tries to get on the end of a long ball up-field.

West Ham need to show a bit more cool and poise on the ball; they are loosing possession far too easily, and inviting pressure on themselves.

United have played some good crisp football in this first half, but Carroll looks on top form against his former club.

ANOTHER SAVE! Rooney finds the ball at his feet in the area; from a tight angle he turns and shoots, but Carroll makes another great save. Ferdinand then shows good composure to clear up the loose ball.

Rooney breaks in to the area and flicks the ball back to Park, but Gabbidon makes a good block as the midfielder attempts to shoot.

Sheringham mis-controls Nobel's cross in to the area. The ball falls to Benayoun, but his first-time shot is high and wide.

...JUST WIDE! Benayoun strikes the free-kick right footed, but it clips the head of a United player in the wall and flies narrowly wide. Corner.

Sheringham stands over the ball as United form their defensive wall...

O'Shea is booked for pulling back Harewood as the striker tried to get on to Etherington's through-ball. Hammers free-kick, on the edge of the area.

Fletcher does eventually find some space to send over a cross, but Repka deals confidently with the danger and chests the ball back to his keeper.

Konchesky is forced in to some more defending as Brown and Fletcher combine on the right, deep in the West Ham half.

Scholes almost threads a pass through to Van Nistelrooy, but Anton Ferdinand intercepts. Unfortunately for the home side, he is wasteful with a pass and United win the ball back.

United are having all of the ball in the early stages; the home side are really struggling to get any meaningful possession.

Carroll takes his time over a clearance; no United player had decided to close him down, and so he took the chance to waste a few seconds and give his side a chance to regroup.

Carroll has already made two good saves, and if United keep playing with as much confidence and flair as this, he's going to be in for a busy afternoon.

Etherington asks a little too much of Harewood as he plays a ball down the left channel for the striker to run on to. Ferdinand clears up at the back.

United can consider themselves very unlucky to be behind; they have settled really well and are linking up excellently going forward.

GREAT STOP! Carroll makes another superb stop as he turns Scholes' right-foot drive around the post.

Noble is booked after another foul; he's got to go a long time on a yellow card, and needs to be very careful from here on in.

SAVE! Van Nistelrooy drives a low shot goalwards from the edge of the area after a nice passing move, but former United keeper Carroll makes a full-stretch save.

Noble earns himself a word from the referee after bringing down Smith inside the centre-circle.

United have actually started quite well, apart from the goal; they are knocking the ball about with confidence, especially in midfield.

Konchesky pressurises Fletcher in to a mistake in the corner flag as he tried to get in a cross from the right.

Both sides are playing with a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Rooney and Sheringham playing in positions just behind the main striker.

Repka barges Van Nistelrooy off the ball, but isn't punished by referee Bennett.

West Ham win a free-kick as Etherington is brought down on the half-way line. West Ham take the chance to slow things down.

Van Nistelrooy is caught marginally off-side as he tries to sprint on to Scholes' through ball behind the home defence.

...He slides the ball out to Rooney, but the youngster's shot is blocked by Gabbidon on the edge of the area.

United win a free-kick right on the edge of the area, out to the right. Scholes stands over the ball...

United try and work some space down the right hand side, but some determined defending from the home side gets the ball away.

Harewood collects a loose ball on the edge of the area, but he drags his shot well wide of the post.

Stunning start from the home side. They broke at pace, and Harewood's finish at the near post was cool and composed as he stroked the ball past Van Der Sar.

GOAL! Harewood slides home Etherington's superb pass in from the left wing to get the Hammers off to an incredible start. Great goal.

United kick off the match; there is a great atmosphere inside the ground as Rooney and Van Nistelrooy get us underway.

The players are holding a minute's applause to honour George Best, who passed away this week. Sir Trevor Brooking and Sir Bobby Charlton say a few words on the departed, and their speeches are well received by the Upton Park crowd.

Hi, I'm Alex. I'm going to guide you through Manchester United's trip to West Ham in the Premiership.

Rooney turns and smashes a shot across the face of goal, though it didn't trouble Carroll.

West Ham corner, though Brown heads clear Etherington's centre.

SUBS: Sheringham and Mullins off, Zamora and Dailly on. Pardew attempts to get his side back in the match as he brings on the pacy Zamora.

CROSSBAR! Van Nistelrooy finds the ball at his feet after a great passing move from the visitors; his attempted chip beats Carroll, but bounces back off the bar.

Still no sign of Zamora, though he still waits on the touchlines.

Good tackle from Nobel on Rooney as he tried to pass out wide to Fletcher.

Etherington shows good determination as he wins a throw for his side, deep in the United half.

SHOT! Van Nistelrooy sends over a low cross to Rooney after a mistake by Ferdinand, but his low shot is slightly deflected and ends in the arms of Carroll.

Repka uses his strength to hold off Park and run the ball out of play in the corner.

West Ham prepare to make a change; Zamora looks to be ready to come on as the home side search for an equaliser.

OVER! Park and Rooney are picking holes in the West Ham defence. The loose ball falls to O'Shea at the far post, but he can't keep his shot down as he tries to place it over Van Der Sar.

Rooney pulls away from Gabbidon; he is found by Scholes' pass, but his shot is blocked by the retreating West Ham defender.

Scholes blasts his shot goalwards, but it is straight at the West Ham wall and the home side try to break forward.

Neville is pulled by Mullins on the edge of the penalty area, and referee Bennett gives the visitors a free-kick.

Some more inventive link-up play leads to Scholes clipping a cross to the far post, though it's over Rooney's head and drifts out for a goalkick.

...But the full-back blasts his shot high over the bar. Very wasteful.

Sheringham and Konchesky stand over the ball...

West Ham win a free-kick when Scholes is adjudged to have handled Harewood's flick, 30 yards out.

Van Nistelrooy can't quite direct his header goalwards after he had found a couple of yards of space at Rooney's free-kick.

Benayoun does well to turn Scholes inside his own half; he runs at the United defence, but Harewood doesn't help him by failing to make a decent run.

United have been very good today; some of their link up play has been top drawer, and Rooney is looking in great form.

So, United surge in front after a great start to the second half. Carroll should have done a lot better with the corner, but O'Shea out-jumped him and thumped the header home.

GOAL! O'Shea powers home a header from Rooney's corner, with Carroll flapping hopelessly inside his own six yard box.

ALMOST! Rooney dances his way past two West Ham defenders; instead of shooting, he tries to cross, and Gabbidon is forced to put the ball out for a corner.

The pace of the game has picked up greatly in the second half; both sides are pressing forward in numbers as the game is opening up.

Benayoun clips a left-foot shot just over the bar after pouncing on a loose ball following a good interception from Brown inside the penalty area.

ROONEY! Rooney comes to close to completing United's comeback as he has two attempts at blasting past Carroll from close range.

Sven Goran Eriksson is spotted in the Upton Park crowd. He looks thoroughly bored.

Harewood requires treatment for a bump to the head.

Harewood goes down after an aerial challenge with Brown as they jumped for a header.

West Ham face a tough battle in this second half now that United have equalised; the visitors are going to come very strongly at them as they search for a winner.

Konchesky is in very quickly to intercept Rooney's pass out to Fletcher on the right.

Repka gave the ball away very cheaply in the build up to United's equaliser, and Park slid a great pass in to Rooney in the area before the young striker drilled the ball under Carroll.

GOAL! Rooney does brilliantly as he side-steps Ferdinand before driving a low shot under Carroll.

Anton Ferdinand rises high to head Scholes' corner away from his brother.

Fletcher gets forward down the right, sends over a low cross, but Gabbidon is on hand to put the ball behind for a corner.

No changes at half time, though if the scoreline stays as it is, I expect Ferguson to bring Ronaldo on sometime soon.

Eventually the home side return, and get the second half underway.

United emerge on to the pitch first. The home side are some moments behind.

HALF-TIME: The visitors have been much the better side, but West Ham lead through Harewood's superbly-taken first-minute strike.

Good determination and committment in the tackle from Etherington wins his side a throw as the ball ricochets off Neville.

Hammers boss Pardew is seen making some notes on the touchline. He will want his players to do a little more with the ball in the second half; they haven't really threatened Van Der Sar too often.

Repka takes his time over a throw; West Ham will be desperate to get in at half-time with the scoreline as it is. This would be a massive win for them.

SAVE! Carroll makes his fourth save of the afternoon, although he perhaps should have dealt better with Rooney's low shot; he palmed it back in to a dangerous area, and Repka is forced to put the ball out for a corner.

OVER! Sheringham slices a volley a couple of yards over the bar from just outside the area. Van Der Sar didn't look too concerned as it passed him.

Repka sends a long throw in to the United area, but they defend well and head clear.

West Ham have got better as the half has gone on; they are defending better now, and are keeping hold of the ball in possession.

Sheringham is booked for rather cynically blocking Park as the United man tried to break in to the space behind a poorly-positioned Repka.

Silvestre has looked shakey this afternoon, especially when he has come up against the strength of Harewood.

SUB: Silvestre is replaced by Neville. I didn't see an injury for Silvestre, so perhaps it was a tactical decision from Ferguson.

Another Silvestre mistake almost proves costly; instead of heading a high ball clear, he attempts to glance it to O'Shea. It falls to Sheringham, though his attempted shot is blocked.

Van Der Sar is very cool as Harewood sprints towards him to try and block a clearance; the Dutch keeper shows good skill to dummy one way before going the other and calmly clearing with his left foot.

West Ham win a throw, down near the corner flag on their right hand flank. Benayoun hurls the ball in, but Ferdinand heads clear.

Van Nistelrooy is booked for a poor challenge on Anton Ferdinand. The yellow cars is the United captain's fifth in the Premiership this season, and he will now miss the Everton game.

Harewood shows good strength to hold off Silvestre; he easily turns the United defender but Van Der Sar is quickly out of his box to sweep up.

Rooney asks for another penalty when his attempted cross strikes the arm of Anton Ferdinand, just inside the area. Again, referee Bennett turns down his appeal.

Sheringham and Harewood combine well, 30 yards out. The veteran slides it out to Benayoun, but his cross from the right is blocked on the edge of the area.

Rooney goes down inside the penalty area under a challenge from Repka, but the referee turns down his penalty claims.

United have played really well this half, but have nothing to show for it.

Smith makes a good tackle on Sheringham as the veteran was attempting to slide a pass out to Benayoun.

Konchesky puts the ball out for a corner; he wasn't under a lot of pressure as Van Nistelrooy flicked the ball in to the area, but the defender took a safety-first approach.

Repka puts in a good tackle on Park on the touchline. The Czech international tries to take the throw quickly, though the referee deems it should go the other way.

The corner is only half-cleared, but Konchesky blasts his left-foot shot a few yards over from just outside the box.

Sheringham whips in a dangerous cross, and Ferdinand is forced to head out for a corner.

United break at pace through Park and Rooney, but Mullins tracks back to intercept the final ball.

Silvestre heads back to Van Der Sar as Harewood tries to get on the end of a long ball up-field.

West Ham need to show a bit more cool and poise on the ball; they are loosing possession far too easily, and inviting pressure on themselves.

United have played some good crisp football in this first half, but Carroll looks on top form against his former club.

ANOTHER SAVE! Rooney finds the ball at his feet in the area; from a tight angle he turns and shoots, but Carroll makes another great save. Ferdinand then shows good composure to clear up the loose ball.

Rooney breaks in to the area and flicks the ball back to Park, but Gabbidon makes a good block as the midfielder attempts to shoot.

Sheringham mis-controls Nobel's cross in to the area. The ball falls to Benayoun, but his first-time shot is high and wide.

...JUST WIDE! Benayoun strikes the free-kick right footed, but it clips the head of a United player in the wall and flies narrowly wide. Corner.

Sheringham stands over the ball as United form their defensive wall...

O'Shea is booked for pulling back Harewood as the striker tried to get on to Etherington's through-ball. Hammers free-kick, on the edge of the area.

Fletcher does eventually find some space to send over a cross, but Repka deals confidently with the danger and chests the ball back to his keeper.

Konchesky is forced in to some more defending as Brown and Fletcher combine on the right, deep in the West Ham half.

Scholes almost threads a pass through to Van Nistelrooy, but Anton Ferdinand intercepts. Unfortunately for the home side, he is wasteful with a pass and United win the ball back.

United are having all of the ball in the early stages; the home side are really struggling to get any meaningful possession.

Carroll takes his time over a clearance; no United player had decided to close him down, and so he took the chance to waste a few seconds and give his side a chance to regroup.

Carroll has already made two good saves, and if United keep playing with as much confidence and flair as this, he's going to be in for a busy afternoon.

Etherington asks a little too much of Harewood as he plays a ball down the left channel for the striker to run on to. Ferdinand clears up at the back.

United can consider themselves very unlucky to be behind; they have settled really well and are linking up excellently going forward.

GREAT STOP! Carroll makes another superb stop as he turns Scholes' right-foot drive around the post.

Noble is booked after another foul; he's got to go a long time on a yellow card, and needs to be very careful from here on in.

SAVE! Van Nistelrooy drives a low shot goalwards from the edge of the area after a nice passing move, but former United keeper Carroll makes a full-stretch save.

Noble earns himself a word from the referee after bringing down Smith inside the centre-circle.

United have actually started quite well, apart from the goal; they are knocking the ball about with confidence, especially in midfield.

Konchesky pressurises Fletcher in to a mistake in the corner flag as he tried to get in a cross from the right.

Both sides are playing with a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Rooney and Sheringham playing in positions just behind the main striker.

Repka barges Van Nistelrooy off the ball, but isn't punished by referee Bennett.

West Ham win a free-kick as Etherington is brought down on the half-way line. West Ham take the chance to slow things down.

Van Nistelrooy is caught marginally off-side as he tries to sprint on to Scholes' through ball behind the home defence.

...He slides the ball out to Rooney, but the youngster's shot is blocked by Gabbidon on the edge of the area.

United win a free-kick right on the edge of the area, out to the right. Scholes stands over the ball...

United try and work some space down the right hand side, but some determined defending from the home side gets the ball away.

Harewood collects a loose ball on the edge of the area, but he drags his shot well wide of the post.

Stunning start from the home side. They broke at pace, and Harewood's finish at the near post was cool and composed as he stroked the ball past Van Der Sar.

GOAL! Harewood slides home Etherington's superb pass in from the left wing to get the Hammers off to an incredible start. Great goal.

United kick off the match; there is a great atmosphere inside the ground as Rooney and Van Nistelrooy get us underway.

The players are holding a minute's applause to honour George Best, who passed away this week. Sir Trevor Brooking and Sir Bobby Charlton say a few words on the departed, and their speeches are well received by the Upton Park crowd.

Hi, I'm Alex. I'm going to guide you through Manchester United's trip to West Ham in the Premiership.