Chapter 708: Chaos
Back in England, Manchester United faced West Ham United on April 13th in the 34th round of the Premier League, hosting the match at Old Trafford.
Coming off an intense clash with Barcelona at Camp Nou just three days prior, Mourinho heavily rotated his starting lineup. Of the starting XI, only Bruno Fernandes and David De Gea retained their places, with the other nine players swapped out.
West Ham currently sat 10th in the league but were only five points behind seventh-placed Wolves. Finishing seventh could potentially secure Europa League qualification, as the League Cup had already been won by Manchester City, and the FA Cup seemed likely to be claimed by either City or United. This made the race for seventh particularly fierce among the non-Big 6 teams.
Had United fielded a full-strength squad, West Ham might have been less optimistic. However, knowing United's focus was on preparing for the second leg against Barcelona, West Ham saw an opportunity to grab an upset victory.
West Ham, under Manuel Pellegrini, boasted a solid squad. Former Arsenal goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański stood between the posts, while their defensive lineup included the likes of Pablo Zabaleta, Arthur Masuaku, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell, Winston Reid, and Issa Diop. In midfield, rising star Declan Rice played alongside talents like Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini, Pedro Obiang, Mark Noble, and Jack Wilshere. Their attacking options included ex-United striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, Marko Arnautović, former Liverpool man Andy Carroll, Michail Antonio, and Andriy Yarmolenko.
The Match
West Ham started strongly at Old Trafford, taking a bold and aggressive approach under Pellegrini. By the 10th minute, Chicharito headed the ball to Felipe Anderson, who scored—but the goal was ruled offside.
After weathering West Ham's early pressure, United began to assert control.
In the 19th minute, United struck first. A buildup orchestrated by Bruno Fernandes saw Riyad Mahrez lay the ball back, leading to a foul on Juan Mata by Snodgrass at the edge of the penalty area. Bruno converted the resulting penalty with ease, marking his 30th consecutive successful spot kick in his professional career—a record he continued to extend.
West Ham fought back with several chances: Lanzini's 25-yard free kick was deflected over the bar, Anderson's header narrowly missed the target, and De Gea saved well from Lanzini. On United's side, Bruno's two attempts inside the box were blocked, Dalot's low drive went wide, and Mahrez's close-range effort from the left was off-target. McTominay and Smalling also had shots that failed to find the back of the net.
The first half ended with United leading 1–0.
In the second half, West Ham equalized early. In the 49th minute, De Gea's attempt to launch a quick counterattack was intercepted by Declan Rice. Lanzini delivered a pinpoint cross from the left, and Anderson beat Marcos Rojo to the ball, sliding it in at the near post to make it 1–1.
Both teams made substitutions to freshen up their attacks. United brought on Rashford, Greenwood, and Herrera, while West Ham introduced Antonio and Arnautović.
West Ham nearly took the lead in the 76th minute when Antonio's shot from the edge of the box rattled the crossbar, and Anderson's follow-up was saved by De Gea. Two minutes later, Antonio's header from close range was again denied by a spectacular save from the United goalkeeper.
The Decisive Moment
In the 80th minute, United regained the lead. Mahrez broke through on goal but was brought down in the box by substitute Ryan Fredericks. The referee pointed to the spot, and Bruno stepped up again to convert his second penalty of the match, making it 2–1.
This marked Bruno's first brace of penalties in a league match, though he had achieved a similar feat in a Europa League group-stage game against Fenerbahçe during the 2016–2017 season.
Bruno's tally for the season now stood at 12 penalties—9 in the Premier League, 2 in the Champions League, and 1 in the FA Cup.
The match ended 2–1, with United securing a crucial win to maintain their lead atop the Premier League table.
The Premier League Standings
By mid-April, with most teams having only five matches remaining, the Premier League was entering its final stretch. Unlike other top leagues where title races were already decided, the Premier League remained fiercely contested.
The standings were as follows:
Manchester United: 28 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss, 95 goals scored, 33 conceded, +62 goal difference, 88 points.Liverpool: 26 wins, 7 draws, 1 loss, 77 goals scored, 20 conceded, +57 goal difference, 85 points.Manchester City: 26 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses, 86 goals scored, 24 conceded, +62 goal difference, 81 points.Tottenham Hotspur: 21 wins, 2 draws, 10 losses, 64 goals scored, 34 conceded, +30 goal difference, 65 points.Arsenal: 20 wins, 5 draws, 8 losses, 65 goals scored, 45 conceded, +20 goal difference, 65 points.Chelsea: 20 wins, 5 draws, 9 losses, 57 goals scored, 38 conceded, +19 goal difference, 65 points.
The league's title race was a three-way battle between Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City. Meanwhile, Spurs, Arsenal, and Chelsea vied for the final Champions League qualification spot.
With Arsenal and Chelsea still alive in the Europa League, they had an alternative route to secure Champions League football by winning that competition. Spurs, having beaten Manchester City 1–0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal, also had the possibility of securing qualification by lifting the trophy.
The season's conclusion promised plenty of drama.
While Manchester United struggled to secure a hard-fought victory against West Ham in the league, Barcelona's performance in La Liga was even more disappointing.
Having suffered a devastating 3–1 home defeat to Manchester United in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal, Barcelona found themselves pushed to the brink. Coach Ernesto Valverde was forced to field a reserve lineup in their weekend away match against Huesca to prepare for the critical second leg midweek.
The result? A 0–0 stalemate between the league's leaders and its bottom-dwellers.
This outcome was unacceptable to Barcelona fans. Huesca, a newly promoted side, had been rooted to the bottom of the table since the eighth round of the season, making them as much a fixture at the bottom as Barcelona was at the top.
The match's result—a goalless draw—was a shocker. Even with a backup lineup, Barcelona's squad still vastly outclassed Huesca.
The result only increased the pressure on Valverde, with growing calls from Spanish media for his dismissal. Some reports even suggested that the second leg against Manchester United would be his last chance to save his job. Should Barcelona lose again, it might mark the end of Valverde's tenure as head coach.
Barcelona on the Brink
Being held by La Liga's bottom team placed Barcelona in an even more precarious position—not just in Europe, but domestically as well. Any further misstep could send them plummeting into disaster.
Valverde, however, remained resolute in his post-match interview, stating that the team had no time to dwell on the disappointment, as they needed to focus on the upcoming Champions League clash.
"We must attack with everything we have at the Millennium Stadium," Valverde declared openly.
Both Catalan and British media speculated that Valverde would adopt a 3–4–3 formation, as he had tested it during the match against Huesca. When pressed on this, Valverde avoided giving a direct answer, stating instead:
"Manchester United's home record is excellent. All the pressure is on them; Barcelona has nothing to lose."
Lionel Messi, when interviewed, echoed a similar sentiment, saying he was solely focused on helping Barcelona secure a victory at Old Trafford and progress to the semifinals.
Players such as Luis Suárez, Philippe Coutinho, Gerard Piqué, and Sergio Busquets also expressed confidence in their ability to overturn the deficit.
Barcelona technical director Éric Abidal boldly claimed they would exploit United's defensive tactics:
"If they think they can just sit back and protect their 3–1 lead, we'll be delighted because that gives us opportunities. With our attacking prowess, scoring three goals away isn't impossible!"
British media quickly labeled Abidal's remarks as psychological warfare.
Manchester United's Response
When Abidal's comments reached England, United's players and staff responded confidently.
"I noticed Barcelona's lineup against Huesca. They didn't play their starters, clearly prioritizing their match against us," said United manager José Mourinho in an interview with the club's website. "We must be prepared for everything, approach this challenge positively, and seize the great opportunity we have in the Champions League. I firmly believe in our ability to advance."
Captain Bruno Fernandes also commented, saying the first-leg victory had boosted United's reputation across the footballing world:
"Before the match, everyone expected Barcelona to beat us, but we sent a clear message—we're strong enough to defeat any team, even Barcelona at Camp Nou!"
Bruno urged his teammates to replicate their focus and intensity from the first leg:
"We must forget the 3–1 scoreline and concentrate entirely on the second leg. Barcelona will not go down without a fight."
Striker Harry Kane added, "Barcelona is undoubtedly strong, but at home—whether it's Old Trafford or the Millennium Stadium—we haven't lost to any team in the past three seasons."
Other United players echoed similar sentiments, expressing their determination to secure victory at home, no matter how fierce Barcelona's challenge might be.
Valverde's Counterattack
When announcing Barcelona's 18-man traveling squad, Valverde hit back at Mourinho's comments, clearly agitated.
"I enjoy competing against teams like this because their manager thinks he knows everything. But usually, those who think they know everything know nothing at all," Valverde remarked.
He even took aim at United's tactics and Mourinho personally, criticizing the perceived simplicity of their strategy:
"Watch a few of their matches, and you'll see how they play. Mourinho made his name with defensive tactics, and his United is built on the same principle. They're disciplined but predictable. I don't need to figure out how to beat them because I already know enough."
A Clash of Giants
The war of words between the two managers only fueled the growing anticipation for the match.
Media outlets worldwide eagerly focused on the upcoming clash, pitting Barcelona—the first-ever sextuple-winning team and long hailed as the "Invincibles"—against Manchester United, last season's sextuple winners and Europe's newest powerhouse.
The battle between Bruno Fernandes and Lionel Messi, the duel between Barca's dazzling attacking football and United's disciplined steel, had the makings of an all-time classic.
Mourinho, confident in his strategy, planned to stick largely to the tactics from the first leg, focusing on nullifying Barcelona's two key players: Busquets, the orchestrator, and Messi, the finisher.
"Shut down those two, and you've cut off Barcelona's lifeline," Mourinho reportedly told his staff.
The stage was set for one of the most highly anticipated matches in recent football history, a true spectacle capturing the attention of fans and media worldwide.
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