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Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard scored in the first half to claim an uninspired win for Manchester United over Alan Pardew’s strugglers

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Sun 17 Dec 2017 11.08 ESTFirst published on Sun 17 Dec 2017 08.15 EST
Jesse Lingard celebrates after scoring United’s second goal.
Jesse Lingard celebrates after scoring United’s second goal. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA
Jesse Lingard celebrates after scoring United’s second goal. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

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Manchester United go 11 points behind Manchester City, goals in the first half from Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard enough to secure a narrow victory. West Bromwich Albion stay 19th despite a belated attempt at a fightback, but at least they did a goal through Gareth Barry. Thanks for reading and emailing. That’s all from me. You can follow Bournemouth v Liverpool with Danny Harris here.

90 min+2: A punt from left to right finds Lukaku one on one with Evans. He tries a stepover before pulling a poor shot wide with his right foot.

90 min+1: Four minutes of added time. Hegazi hoicks a deep cross to the far post. It’s headed down and Barry’s shot is blocked! It might have been going in.

88 min: United could do with full-time now. They were coasting for so long that they’re struggling to respond now that West Brom have stirred.

87 min: Rondon turns on the left and curls a cross to the far post. Rojo swings and Lukakus at it, almost sending the ball past De Gea! A corner’s awarded. Though Rojo’s claiming he didn’t touch it. His appeals are ignored. The corner’s whipped in by Brunt again. De Gea misses his punch and the ball bounces off Matic - and back into the grateful clutches of De Gea! Barry tries to nick it off him and seems to catch United’s goalkeeper, leading to a disagreement between the pair. Anthony Taylor sorts it out.

85 min: Gibbs whips a cross into the area from a deep position on the left and Rodriguez’s free header flashes just wide, with De Gea rooted to the spot! What a chance for West Brom to equalise.

Rodriguez sends his header wide. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images
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84 min: Rondon hustles and bustles to win a corner for West Brom on the left. Brunt’s deep delivery is headed back into the middle by Rodriguez and cleared by United, who are under pressure now.

81 min: United have been lax since half-time. They’ve brought this on themselves - not that West Brom are in the habit of scoring two whole goals in one game. They are pressing, though, and De Gea has to save Rodriguez’s shot from the edge of the area.

GOAL! West Brom 1-2 Manchester United (Barry, 77 min)

Hang on! Just as everyone was nodding off, West Brom score the first goal of the Pardew era! They’d won a corner on the right after Rondon’s shot was deflected over; Brunt swung it deep to the far post, Hegazi headed down, Evans made a nuisance of himself and Barry controlled before swivelling to turn the ball past De Gea from six yards! The Hawthorns has cheered up a bit.

Barry gets one back for Albion. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images
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74 min: Brunt slips a pass through to Rondon, who shoots timidly at De Gea. This side is utterly bereft of confidence. The Hawthorns is miserable at the moment.

71 min: McClean fruitlessly chases after a flick-on. Young, trying to usher it back to De Gea, leans into him and sends him careering into the United goalkeeper, who’s winded for a moment or two. West Brom make their final change, Chris Brunt replacing the disappointing Krychowiak.

66 min: Rojo’s introduction was delayed because he wasn’t ready, much to his annoyance, but he’s finally on.

65 min: Antonio Valencia has picked up an injury. Marcos Rojo is coming on. Ashley Young has gone to right-back.

60 min: Nyom picks up a booking for tugging Rashford back while that counter was developing. “Won’t someone…anybody… (Santa maybe?) make Lukaku smile for Christmas?” asks Justin Kavanagh. “Between him and his dour, sour manager, Manchester United has become a refuge for Scrooges this season. Bah, humbug!”

59 min: A flowing United counterattack ends with Lukaku brilliantly backheeling into the path of Lingard, who rams his shot straight at Foster from 18 yards. That would have been a vintage United goal. Is there a more underrated player in the league than Lingard?

Lingard has a pop. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images
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57 min: Valencia’s cross from the right reaches Rashford, who slashes a snapshot wide, much to the merriment of the home fans.

55 min: Burke charges on to a long ball down the right and hooks a lovely ball into the middle. Rondon and McClean both throw themselves at it, but neither can make proper contact and the ball’s scrambled away.

52 min: West Brom seem to have absolutely no clue about how they might create a chance. United look likelier to score a third. Rashford tries to wriggle past Hegazi, only to go down clutching his face. He stays down for a while - Hegazi put an arm across him. Eventually he gets up and the pair engage in a philosophical debate. It’s instigated by Rashford, so he gets a yellow card.

Hegazi catches Rashford. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Rashford and Hegaz have words. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images
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46 min: Off we go again. Manchester United get the second half underway. West Brom have made a change, Gareth Barry replacing Claudio Yacob, and they start the half encouragingly, Gibbs shooting wide from the edge of the area.

45 min+1: There will be one added minute. United have a corner on the right. Mata takes it and Foster punches it unconvincingly to the edge of the area. Young’s shot is charged down.

WEST BROM HAVE A SHOT!!!!!!!!!!!

44 min: Livermore takes aim from 25 yards. De Gea dives low to his right to make a comfortable save.

39 min: United are playing with wonderful confidence now. They could fill their boots if they keep going. They were too cautious before the first goal, but a blend of sharper passing and movement is turning this an ordeal for West Brom.

GOAL! West Brom 0-2 Manchester United (Lingard, 35 min)

Game over. Probably. Jesse Lingard finds space 20 yards from goal and has a dig. It’s not the best effort, but Hegazi hangs out a leg and his intervention takes the ball spinning to Foster’s right, with the goalkeeper already committed to his left.

Lingard scores the second for United. Photograph: James Baylis/WBA FC via Getty Images
And celebrates. Photograph: Paul Currie/BPI/REX/Shutterstock
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