OPINION
West Ham United no doubt felt that they were robbed in their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester United on Saturday.
The Hammers put out what was an overly positive display at Old Trafford, and they certainly tested the Red Devils right up until the end of the game.
One selection that would have raised many eyebrows was the decision to include Pablo Zabaleta at right-back. The supporters obviously felt that, at the age of 34-years-old, the United attack would have made a complete meal of the veteran.
Well, you should think again, as he was very impressive on Saturday evening.
Seeing as he had to cope with the likes of Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial, Zabaleta did not let the challenge faze him in the slightest – and it is safe to say that he kept the latter in his pocket until he was replaced by Ryan Fredericks.
United fans were certainly in awe that one of their young midfielders was getting beaten by a player many years older than him – however, perhaps this time it was his experience that did him dividends.
Zabaleta has now surely given Manuel Pellegrini a selection headache after this head-turning display. No one expected him to come out and perform in the way that he did, especially against a skilful United attack.
Fredericks has been decent recently too, so the manager definitely has been given some food for thought by the £75,000-a-week [Spotrac] player. Put this way, those fans who doubted Zabaleta’s inclusion will definitely be mincing their words right now.
Pellegrini can rest easy knowing that he has two quality right-backs to call upon for the remainder of the season, but just which one will get the extra nod remains to be seen.
