Manchester United defeated West Ham United 2–1 in preseason action on Saturday at MetLife Stadium kicking off their Premier League Summer Series with a win.

Rasmus Højlund, handed a start up top with Bruno Fernandes and summer signing Matheus Cunha playing in the pockets behind him, nearly sent the Man Utd support at MetLife Stadium into a frenzy in the opening minutes. The Danish striker hit the woodwork as the Red Devils pushed on.

Moments later from a set piece, West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola coughed up a loose ball after colliding with El Hadji Malick Diouf. In the scramble, Areola fouled Ayden Heaven resulting in a penalty. Bruno Fernandes, the player who received the biggest reception across both games in New Jersey on the day, calmly slotted home the opening goal of the game as Areola was rooted to his spot.

Most of the action in the opening period centered on the tactical battle between Man Utd’s Patrick Dorgu and West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Man Utd looked the sharper team in attack for the opening 20 minutes as Matheus Cunha, Fernandes and Højlund linked up around the edge of the box.

Leny Yoro received the first yellow card of the friendly in the 31st minute for time wasting and delaying the restart. The defender nearly made up for it shortly after when he nearly directed a header on target from a Fernandes corner. Amad Diallo also came close to doubling Man Utd’s lead in the 38th minute but was flagged offside.

Coming out of the tunnel for the second half, Amorim opted to keep his same 11 on the pitch. Fernandes was through on goal but could not get his feet right to beat Areola. The Portuguese captain was the most influential player on the pitch for the Red Devils, as he was most of last season. Just a couple minutes later, Fernandes finally doubled his tally catching Areola wrong-footed in the box.

Jarrod Bowen got the Hammers back into the game in the 63rd minute with a right-footed effort to beat Altay Bayındır. Players took a hydration break after the goal which prompted Amorim to make a wholesale team change. He brought out everyone sans Bayındır to see out the game.

Overall, a solid performance from a Man Utd team that is yet to introduce Bryan Mbeumo into the fold. The Cameroonian is with the team in the U.S., but did not participate today as he works his way back to match fitness. He could appear when Man Utd play Bournemouth in Chicago at Soldier Field on Wednesday.

Sports Illustrated’s Manchester United player ratings from the match below.

Man Utd Player Ratings vs. West Ham United (3-4-2-1)

GK: Altay Bayındır—6/10—The goalkeeper did not have much to do today filling in for André Onana. His biggest moment of the game came late in stoppage time to deny West Ham an equaliser.

CB: Ayden Heaven—5/10—The former Arsenal academy player was handed a start by Amorim and looked solid in the first half, but was poor against Bowen for West Ham’s only goal.

CB: Matthijs de Ligt—6/10—The Dutchman was solid in the middle of defense with two younger defenders flanking him. A decent performance that the former Bayern Munich man can build on moving forward

CB: Leny Yoro—6/10—The Frenchman picked up a silly yellow card, other than that he was decent.

RWB: Amad Diallo—6/10—One of Man Utd’s few bright spots last season looked lively down the right flank. He nearly had a goal if not for receiving it a fraction offsides.

CM: Manuel Ugarte—6/10—Ugarte worked in a midfield pivot for most of the game alongside Kobbie Mainoo. He looked solid, but fans will want to see more from the Uruguayan this summer ahead of the season.

CM: Kobbie Mainoo—6/10—A solid, but not necessarily outstanding performance from Mainoo.

LWB: Patrick Dorgu—6/10—Dorgu had his hands full dealing with a lively Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The Jaunary signing performed well, but he needs to impress moving forward if he is going to establish himself as a nailed-on starter.

AM: Bruno Fernandes—8/10—The Portuguese captain was the best player on the pitch for either team. He received the biggest reception all day and deservedly is man of the match. A great performance for Fernandes.

AM: Matheus Cunha—6/10—The former Wolves man looked like he was still adapting to the system and finding his feet. As he continues to settle in, Cunha and Fernandes can form a dangerous partnership alongside the arrival of Bryan Mbeumo.

ST: Rasmus Højlund—6/10—He did not get on the scoresheet, but the Dane worked hard from the jump. Whether or not he is a Man Utd player come the end of the window remains to be seen, but Amorim should give him another look as a starter in either Chicago or Atlanta.

Player of the Match: Bruno Fernandes

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd Player Ratings vs. West Ham: Red Devils Open Summer Series With 2–1 Win.

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