Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick admitted his side were left frustrated at the final whistle after being forced to settle for a replay following a 1-1 draw with West Ham at Old Trafford in the Emirates FA Cup.
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United, unlike so many other games during Louis van Gaal’s time at the club, mounted a comeback and responded well to going a goal behind.
West Ham co-owner David Gold said: “I’m very confident we can get the right result in the replay under the lights in the last ever FA Cup tie to be played at the Boleyn Ground”.
“West Ham were the better team before they scored, but then we created chances too”, the Dutchman is quoted as saying by BBC Sport. West Ham’s final game had been scheduled to end their season against Swansea but they will now return three days later for a last hurrah.
“We have played against West Brom and lost, and Liverpool and lost this week, and when you come back from that I think it is unbelievable, and fantastic spirit in the team, in spite of a very nasty week”.
“We have played a game against Liverpool on Thursday and they [West Ham] had the whole week to prepare and we could come back and show a big revival”.
With United trailing, Van Gaal changed the pattern of the game by sending on Bastian Schweinsteiger and Memphis Depay in a double substitution after 76 minutes.
“It was one of the best free-kicks I’ve scored, and to score in this stadium which I think is one of the most attractive in the league…It’s a great day for me”, Payet concluded.
It was a goal fit to win any game, but that late equaliser certainly put a downer on it.
United and West Ham play to a 1-1 draw setting up a replay, with neither manager happy with some questionable calls.
“We’ve got two massive games now and, more often than not, we turn up in those big games”, he said.
A Watford vs Everton final is a possibility, which will be a repeat of the 1983-84 season FA Cup final clash, which the Merseyside blues won.
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It marked the worst possible start to a make-or-break week for Arsenal, which is likely to be eliminated from the Champions League by Barcelona on Wednesday before a crucial match against Everton next weekend in its fading Premier League title challenge.
