West Ham Share Spoils With Manchester United In Draw At Old Trafford

 

Manchester United's bid for a crucial win was prevented as West Ham United's Soungoutou Magassa scored a dramatic equalizer in the 83rd minute, securing a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

The hosts had just regained winning form after going winless in three consecutive Premier League games; over the weekend, they beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park. Winning would have made United better off, though it was a hard-fought match with the Hammers defending deep into their half for much of the time. 

United took the lead in the 58th minute with Diogo Dalot's strike, but West Ham's resilience was evident, and they pushed hard for an equalizer, with Jarrod Bowen causing problems for the United defense throughout the second half.

Despite dominating possession and creating chances, United were unable to extend their lead, and Magassa's late goal was a cruel blow. Following a corner, Noussair Mazraoui's poor clearance of Boweb's flicker landed on Magassa's path. The defensive midfielder wasted no time rifling the ball into the net. 

West Ham deserved the draw, but sharing the spoils with United did not pay off for the side, who remain in the relegation zone with 12 points. They lost their previous game to Liverpool by 2-0 on Sunday. 

Overview 

United did not stand a chance to break the Hammers' resolve for the most part of the first half, even though they had a strong presence in the box. Hammers' defensive line was strong enough to keep the ball out, and the closest United got was Aaron Wan-Bissaka's touchline clearance of Amad's effort. By the end of the first half, United had spent more time attacking the Hammers' box than defending their own box. 

Making the Hammers concede took a tedious effort. Amad and Casemiro combined efforts. The exchange resulted in an attempted long-range shot that drifted into Dalot's foot. The defender wasted no time scoring the ultimate goal. Unfortunately, Hammers seized a set piece to level up. There was not much of Zirkzee seen at the front, even though he had an acrobatic moment that was blocked. It was difficult for the United strikers to find space for scoring chances.