Marcus Rashford was the late hero for Manchester United as his stoppage-time goal saw them beat West Ham 1-0 and leap above the Hammers into fourth.

In a game that looked certain to be heading for a draw, all three of Rangnick’s substitutes combined as Anthony Martial played in Edinson Cavani, who crossed for Rashford to provide the finishing touch which broke West Ham’s resistance at Old Trafford.

“They are the best games to be involved in and when you’re on the winning side of it, it’s a great feeling,” Rashford told Sky Sports as he savoured his match-winning moment after the game. “Nothing really beats it in football.”

Rangnick, who has now picked up 17 points from a possible 24 as United’s interim boss, echoed Rashford’s sentiment, saying that United deserved victory. He told Sky Sports: “If you score in the last second of the game that is the best type of wins, a clean sheet, I think in the end we deserved to win.”

Earlier in the game, it was a first half that promised much with West Ham making a bright start before United took control.

Cristiano Ronaldo was inches away from getting on the end of Bruno Fernandes’ cross and the Portugal international had appeals for a penalty turned down by referee Jon Moss after a coming together with Kurt Zouma, but the opening 45 minutes petered out with neither side having a shot on target.

The first shot on target in the game came early in the second half as Alphonse Areola, who was making his Premier League debut for the Hammers, flung himself into action to keep out Fred’s powerful drive.

Jarrod Bowen’s strike from the edge of the area then hit the side netting before Raphael Varane had a free header, but he failed to test Areola.

United threw on Rashford, Cavani and Martial as they looked for a winner which would take them above West Ham and into fourth, but initially it was the Hammers who went closest in the closing stages as Tomas Soucek headed agonisingly wide and David de Gea pushed a deflected cross past the post.