Manchester United 3-1 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United were unable to inflict a third straight home defeat on Manchester United in the Barclays Premier League, as the Red Devils returned to their usual home form on Saturday.
Danny Welbeck and Adnan Januzaj struck before the break to put the hosts firmly in control, and their position was strengthened further in the second period by Ashley Young's curled shot.
Carlton Cole came off the bench to pull one back for the Hammers, but in truth they were unable to build on Wednesday's victory at Tottenham Hotspur as David Moyes' men controlled the contest from start to finish.
Adrian was handed his first Barclays Premier League start since joining the Club from Real Betis in the summer and he was called into action very early on, diving down to his left and raising his hand to claw away Tom Cleverley's second-minute effort.
Wayne Rooney was also given an early sighter when Ravel Morrison fouled him on the edge of the box. He took the free-kick himself and was only just off target with his curling effort.
Manchester United were looking the more purposeful and Adrian, who has performed excellently in the Capital One Cup run, had to be alert again by his near-post after Antonio Valencia's cross-shot deflected off George McCartney and flew towards goal.
The Hammers were not helping their cause by giving the ball away cheaply, and a quick free kick proved their undoing with 26 minutes on the clock.
Welbeck and Rooney exchanged passes neatly, allowing the former to advance into the area and drill across Adrian and into the bottom corner,
Ten minutes later it was 2-0, and again it was too easy as Januzaj passed to Welbeck, received the return ball, cut inside James Collins and stroked home.
The hosts could even have made it three before the break as, with 40 minutes played, they broke with pace following a Hammers free-kick. Rafael flew down the right and laid back to Valencia, but his shot was off target.
The second period began in much the same vein as a Januzaj cross almost picked out Welbeck, and then from the resulting corner Jonny Evans' header was cleared off the line.
West Ham were struggling to make an impression in the attacking third and the home side kept their possession ticking over as they closed in on the points.
Young came off the bench and sealed their success 18 minutes from the end, whipping a right-footed effort into the top right-hand corner from 16 yards.
West Ham gave their supporters something to cheer nine minutes from the end. Alexander Buttner dropped behind the line of his defence to play Cole onside from Modibo Maiga's pass, and the striker raced clear before finishing through David de Gea's legs. But it would prove just a consolation, as the Hammers failed to mount an improbable revival in the closing minutes.
Manchester United: de Gea, Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra (Buttner 80); Cleverley, Jones; Valencia, Rooney, Januzaj (Young 69); Welbeck (Chicharito 54)
Subs: Johnstone, Giggs, Fletcher, Kagawa
Goals: Welbeck 26, Januzaj 36, Young 72
Booked: Januzaj
West Ham United: Adrian; Demel, Collins (Rat 75), Tomkins, McCartney; Noble, Taylor (Collison 62); Diame, Morrison, Jarvis (C.Cole 71); Maiga
Subs: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Diarra, J.Cole
Goal: C.Cole 81
Booked: Morrison, Jarvis, Tomkins, McCartney
Referee: Mike Jones