Manchester United vs West Ham: Paul Pogba should have taken shot 'in the mush' for handball penalty

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer felt the midfielder's reaction was natural

(Manchester United via Getty Images)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Paul Pogba should have taken Declan Rice’s shot “in the mush” rather than concede a crucial penalty for handball in Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with West Ham at Old Trafford.

United moved into the Premier League’s top four places for the first time since September and only require a point to qualify for next season’s Champions League heading into the final weekend.

But Solskjaer’s side must travel to fellow contenders Leicester City and avoid defeat in order to guarantee their place after Michail Antonio’s first-half penalty mathematically secured West Ham’s top-flight survival.

David Moyes’s visitors were awarded the spot-kick at the end of the first half after Pogba blocked Rice’s shot following a indirect free kick with hands, while appearing to protect his face.

“It’s a natural reaction,” said Solskjaer. “Paul’s held his hand up knowing he should have took it in the mush instead but it’s natural reaction if that ball comes flying at you at 100 miles-per-hour. It wouldn’t have made a difference anyway.”

The United manager was disappointed not to take all three points, but believes his players have put themselves in the position to secure a top-four finish which at one point appeared unlikely.

“You can’t expect to go and turn teams over and score three or five like we did to have a different scenario for Sunday,” he said.

“When we started after the lockdown, we had to go for it. We really had to go for it – we had to go for goal difference, we had to go for points.

“The effort has been fantastic and the results have been fantastic. Of course, you’d like to win against Southampton, you concede in the last second, and here today you concede a penalty in the last second of the first half.

“But we’ve given ourselves a fantastic opportunity and a great starting point for Sunday.”