Transfer news LIVE: Arsenal, Manchester United, City, Liverpool and Chelsea latest plus every done deal
04:42 John Cross
West Ham's new signing watch
For West Ham, Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic, Pablo Zabaleta and Javier Hernandez all started.
Joe Hart
The cheers of ‘City reject’ began when Hart came out for the warm-up and were cranked up by the Stretford End as West Ham’s on-loan keeper stood in front of Manchester United’s fans prior to kick-off.
Hart claimed he had nothing to prove to Pep Guardiola, only to Slaven Bilic and England boss Gareth Southgate, but the 30-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Torino, was under huge scrutiny at Old Trafford.
Hart was certainly kept busy by United’s relentless pressure and equipped himself well, coming off his line sharply in the 18 minute to deny Juan Mata, and showed decent anticipation to palm away a dangerous cross from Henrikh Mkhitaryan just before the half-hour.
There was little he could do to keep out Lukaku’s thumping opener or the forward’s second, for which he was left exposed by his lamentable defence.
(Image: Rex Features)
Pablo Zabaleta
Released by Manchester City in the summer, Zabaleta found himself back in his former adopted city for the opening game of the new campaign, along with former Blues team-mate Hart.
(Image: REUTERS)
He may have lacked the pace and dynamism demanded of full-backs by Guardiola, but Bilic wanted Zabelata’s experience, although that counted for little with the Argentine stranded upfield as United launched the breakneck counter-attack that led to their opener.
Zabaleta was also culpable for United’s second goal, his cynical foul on Marcus Rashford earning him a yellow card and allowing Mkhitaryan to pick out Lukaku from the set-piece to establish a 2-0 lead. Not a happy return to Manchester for Zabaleta.
Marko Arnautovic
Signed from Stoke for £20m this summer, rising to £25m, Arnautovic was largely anonymous here, his task made harder given he was up against Antonio Valencia, described by Mourinho as “the best right-back in the world”.
(Image: REUTERS)
Arnautovic plundered some spectacular goals for Stoke, but his Premier League debut for West Ham was strangely subdued, his only moment of note coming in the first-half coming when he was ruled offside, then compounded that error by thudding a shot against the frame of the goal after the whistle had gone, much to the amusement of the home fans.
Arnautovic did clip the bar with a looping header just before the hour mark, but such moments were few and far between from the Austria international.
Javier Hernandez
Former Manchester United striker Hernandez received a warm reception before kick-off on his return to Old Trafford, but the Mexico international, who spent five years with the Reds, scoring 59 goals in 157 appearances, did little to trouble his old club.
(Image: PA)
It took Hernandez, a predatory finisher but also an habitual offside offender throughout his career, just two minutes to ensure the assistant referee’s flag was raised, although West Ham played so deep and had so little of the ball there were few occasions when the 29-year-old forward was able to get in behind United’s defence.
One moment summed up Hernandez’s afternoon, just after the hour, when he found himself in bags of space in the centre circle, under no pressure, and proceeded to under hit a pass which was intercepted with ease by United full-back Valencia. Hernandez will surely score goals for West Ham, but his best days - which came in the red of United - are undoubtedly behind him.