Erik ten Hag backs David de Gea after his error hands West Ham a 1-0 win

LONDON – Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said he has full belief in goalkeeper David de Gea despite the Spaniard’s error handing West Ham United a 1-0 victory in the Premier League on Sunday.

De Gea let a tame first-half effort from Said Benrahma slip into the net as United suffered a second straight league defeat. They remain fourth and a point above Liverpool, who have played a game more.

Ten Hag said he hoped the 32-year-old goalkeeper will extend his stay at the club. His contract is set to expire in the summer.

“He has the most clean sheets in the league, so we would not be here in this position without him,” said ten Hag. “He fully has my belief. No concerns with him.

“It happens, but as a team you have to deal with it, show character, be resilient and bounce back. We want him to stay and extend his contract.”

No goalkeeper has made more errors that have led to goals in the Premier League this season than de Gea (four).

Asked if Liverpool’s six-match winning run had affected his side, ten Hag said: “It’s not about Liverpool, it’s about us because if you look to the table we have everything in our hands.

“Nothing changes. We could have made it easier if we had won, but we need three wins in four games. Everything is in our hands. We have to believe.”

Just a few days ago, United were heavy favourites to

finish in the Premier League’s top four

and qualify for next season’s Champions League but now they are wobbling badly, while the Hammers look safe from relegation.

Hammers manager David Moyes praised the “huge character of his side”, saying it would be tough for teams below them to catch up, even though they are not mathematically safe.

“The number isn’t confirmed that it keeps you in the Premier League, so we have to look forward to the next game and try and pick up more points,” he said.

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he played a video of his side’s bitter defeat at Newcastle United in 2022 before their vital 2-0 Premier League win at St James’ Park on Sunday.

The flimsy defeat on Tyneside last May wrecked Arsenal’s chances of finishing in the top four as they were squeezed out by arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a Champions League spot.

This time, however, Arsenal turned the tables on Newcastle in impressive fashion to stay firmly in the hunt for their first title since 2004 – Martin Odegaard and a Fabian Schar own goal sealing the points to cut Manchester City’s lead to one point.

“We had to feel it. It wasn’t enough just to talk about it. Not just the players but the staff as well. That feeling that we didn’t do enough that day,” said Arteta, who made his players watch the Amazon documentary All Or Nothing, shortly before leaving their pre-match hotel.

“The word was pain and then the desire for revenge. When you have question marks, you have to resolve them.

“When you have the emotions we had last year, you have to feel them again, realise how nasty they are and approach the game differently. The boys did that well.”
REUTERS, AFP