West Ham captain Mark Noble has hailed the club’s young striker Ashley Fletcher for scoring on his return to Old Trafford after leaving Manchester United in the summer to join the Irons at London Stadium.
Slaven Bilic’s side played against Jose Mourinho and his players twice in the space of four days, drawing 0-0 in the league at the weekend before losing 4-1 to crash out of the EFL Cup in mid-week.
“I am buzzing for Ashley Fletcher that he scored his first goal for the club up at Old Trafford in the cup game,” the 29-year-old midfielder wrote in his programme notes ahead of facing Arsenal at home in the Premier League.
“I told him after the game he’s going to have ups and downs in his career, as well all do, but that was a moment he will savour forever – back home where he’s from against the team he grew up with.
“You couldn’t have written a story like it. The ‘keeper made a good save from him on Sunday but got his goal on Wednesday. I’m over the moon for him.”
The Gunners were the first London side to play West Ham at their new home in the league following Chelsea’s visit in the previous round of the EFL Cup.
Noble also paid tribute to the Chapecoense team whose plane crashed en route to the final of the Copa Sudamericana in Medelin, Colombia during the week.
“We were all shocked to learn of the tragic news,” he wrote. “The thoughts of everyone at West Ham go out to the families of those affected.”
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