Premier League news: West Ham find late leveller at Old Trafford as Man Utd settle for draw
Manchester United drew 1-1 with West Ham on Thursday night as Ruben Amorim’s side continue to blow hot and cold in the Premier League.
Diogo Dalot’s smart finish had put the Red Devils on track for a much-needed home win, but a breakdown in defence saw Soungoutou Magassa snatch a late equaliser for the Hammers.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Robert Bore reviews the stalemate at Old Trafford.
Chance to make a statement
‘Waste’ (verb) – to be unused or expended for no purpose.
‘Waste’ (noun) – unwanted or unusable material, substances, or by-products. (In layman’s terms, this means crap.)
Put the two together and what have you got? You’ve got another missed Manchester United opportunity.
And it was all depressingly bloody familiar.
Ruben Amorim made three changes to the starting XI that somehow won at Crystal Palace – Noussair Mazraoui, Ayden Heaven, and Matheus Cunha coming in for Mason Mount, Matthijs de Ligt, and Leny Yoro.
Nuno Espírito Santo made a change of his own with Tomáš Souček in for Lucas Paquetá, who was presumably still shouting at clouds somewhere in east London after his red card at Liverpool and 46-word statement.
Speaking of statements, it was a night for United to make one of their own and put a marker down and move into the top five.
But, as I have said many times, this is United.
Hammers dangerous in opening period
United looked bright in the opening five minutes, but the first real chance fell to Mateus Fernandes after an Aaron Wan-Bissaka cut-back was left by Jarrod Bowen, although the Portuguese’s strike was blocked by Casemiro.
The returning Heaven went into the book three minutes later after arriving later than an Evri parcel and going through Bowen, who saw him coming – unlike Evri.
After what was an abject performance at Anfield last time out, the visitors certainly didn’t look like they were struggling.
That made me nervous.
El Hadji Malick Diouf won the award for shittiest shot of the season after slicing the ball so badly you could have layered it on two slices of bread with some cheese and a dollop of mustard.
But United still had yet to get going.
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Tough first half finishes goalless
You’d have to have been hiding under a rock to have not seen United’s success from set pieces (10 scored) this season versus West Ham’s failure (10 conceded).
And it was almost 11 for both midway through the first half when Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbuemo cooked up another routine.
The former Brentford man played it short to Fernandes who dropped it back for the Cameroonian to curl the ball towards Alphonse Areola’s far post but the keeper tipped over.
United should have broken the deadlock in the 24th minute, Amad Diallo having Diouf on toast and crossing for Zirkzee who was blocked on the line by Wan-Bissaka.
Cunha tried a cheeky overhead kick that suffered a similar fate, and when that ball was blocked out to Bruno, his bizarre scissor strike clipped the woodwork and dropped wide.
The travelling fans then gave their first rendition of “Blowing Bubbles” and it was unlikely to be the last, but United had seemingly awoken from their slumber.
Cunha was blocked again as United worked into the West Ham box, Bruno likewise a minute or two later, and pressure was building.
Bowen managed to dance goalward from out wide but there was nothing in his effort.
United continued to press, Diallo beating Diouf again and the foul from the defender earned him a card.
I wondered if, like Heaven, he’d see the second half.
Amorim’s side were definitely shading it but finishing needed to improve, Zirkzee’s bushy head glancing wide.
I pressed firmly on last week’s calamity buzzer as the half ended, Noussair Mazraoui and Heaven trying their best to make it happen for the Hammers – but United survived and that was the end of the opening 45 mins.
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Dalot gives hosts the lead
Heaven was indeed replaced by Yoro at the break while Diouf somehow stayed on, his performance tonight not indicative of his season apparently, according to a very bored Hammers fan I know.
It was another slowish start in the second period.
Ten minutes had flown by without much happening until Amad cut back for Mbuemo who saw his blaster blocked, and Luke Shaw sent the rebound arising above the Stretford End.
It wasn’t all one-way traffic, mind you, Soungoutou Magassa slashing one wide in what would become a prophetic warning.
United went ahead just before the hour and it was from the unlikeliest of sources – my nemesis, Diogo Dalot.
Now, regular readers will know I don’t rate this lad very highly at all but, Double D, I have a big sloppy kiss with your name on it kiddo.
Casemiro and Diallo played a one-two down the right that was perhaps an inch short for the Brazilian but the former Read Madrid man got his strike away under pressure anyway, the deflection falling straight at the feet of Dalot who, after a good first touch, steered the ball home for his first league goal in a year-and-a-half and first at Old Trafford.
A run to the corner flag to take in the adulation, finger to his neck by way of checking for a pulse – ironic as he’s played most of his United career as if he didn’t have one.
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Hammers strike at the death
Dalot departed for Patrick Dorgu 10 minutes later, and my smile was a wry one, but we needed a second goal.
There were howls for a penalty after Fernandes released Mbeumo on the break, Jean-Clair Todibo dangling a leg but pulling away in time as the frontman went down, while Cunha’s shot was deflected for a corner.
It would just be like United to concede here. Two steps forward, two steps back, remember.
Cunha’s return was cut short along with Zirkzee as we moved into the final 15 minutes, with Sunday’s matchwinner Mount and Manuel Ugarte introduced.
Casemiro was doing Casemiro things with little fuss, always seeming to be in the right place and capable of throwing in a reckless lunge.
Nuno threw his dice with two subs of his own as he chased an equaliser and lo and behold, United took those two steps in the wrong direction again.
A corner was flicked on to the far post by Bowen and cleared desperately off the line by Mazraoui, but Magassa was there to sweep the ball home as the majority of the defending players stood around looking disinterested.
I repeat – it was all depressingly familiar, like getting homework at Christmas or spilling a drink down your shirt.
I couldn’t even blame Dalot this time.
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Two steps back for United
United had it all to do, again.
Bowen almost found Wilson in the box as West Ham pushed for an unlikely winner – it was going to need a hero and there would only be five minutes of added time in which to find one.
Bruno couldn’t as he blazed over in front of goal and United contrived to waste pretty much all their other chances in the remaining four minutes.
And that was that.
The Hammers fans were happy singing their only song for the 12th time as two points sat at the side of the pitch asking for change.
That’s five points dropped in two home games, points that would have seen United sit in fourth instead of eighth.
It’s hard to fathom. I can’t work it out.
At a time when they should be going for the throat to kill a game off, United just dropped off.
Ugarte on alongside Casemiro to shore it up, hell no. We simply aren’t any good at it.
Get Kobbie Mainoo on instead and kill the game. Remember, Palace almost equalised late on.
In the end, did West Ham deserve it? Maybe, maybe not. But they should never have been given the option.
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