Man United Supporters Jeer as West Ham Snatch Crucial Premier League Points

For about 25 minutes, the league table had an unusually satisfying appearance for Manchester United. Under Ruben Amorim, they seemed to be on course for a Champions League return, sitting fifth and level on points with Chelsea, despite not consistently playing like a top-tier team.

Then they squandered their lead at Old Trafford to a bottom-three contender. Amorim expressed he was “frustrated and angry” about the outcome. Following the final whistle, boos filled the stadium. United now languish in eighth, with only one win from their last five outings. Their propensity for dropping points from winning positions has hindered their climb up the table. Securing just one point at home against a 10-man Everton and relegation-threatened West Ham is far from satisfactory. Moreover, they have won only one second half this season. “We need to improve in the second halves,” said Amorim, adding that better performance is needed in the first halves as well.

Nuno Espirito Santo, in contrast, was pleased with his team's performance. “I think we deserved the draw,” he remarked, referring to their response after a disappointing defeat to Liverpool. Captain Jarrod Bowen noted, “We wanted to show a reaction,” and they did, with Soungoutou Magassa scoring after receiving a corner, eliciting cheers for a celebrated former Hammer, the late Billy Bonds.

Diogo Dalot scored Manchester United’s opening goal (Getty Images)

The goal originated from a corner, highlighting United's struggle in set-piece defense, even as they gain a reputation for attacking set pieces. Nuno deserves credit for the tactical setup that led to the equalizer. West Ham's Andy Irving, who had just come on, delivered a corner that Bowen met – “I'm 5ft 9in or something like that, so not the tallest,” the England international noted – resulting in a fantastic goal-line clearance from Noussair Mazraoui. However, Magassa quickly followed up to net his first goal for West Ham.

“The game is 83 minutes old and we need to close it and avoid conceding,” Amorim said. Tactically, both managers made impactful changes. Amorim attempted a defensive approach, substituting two forwards but it failed; during Manuel Ugarte’s recent 40 minutes on the pitch, they conceded four goals and were caught short with too few attackers later on.

Another decision by Amorim raised eyebrows. Hampered by Matthijs de Ligt's injury, Ayden Heaven made his league debut this season, earning an early yellow for a foul on Bowen and appeared anxious before being replaced by Leny Yoro at halftime.

West Ham players celebrate their late goal at Old Trafford (Getty Images)

For Manchester United, the story revolved around their right-backs. Mazraoui, playing centrally, struggled to maintain the lead given to them by Dalot, who had been repositioned to the left. Meanwhile, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whom they sold for £15m, excelled on his return, making crucial plays such as a goal-line clearance and earning cheers from West Ham supporters.

Dalot's first Premier League goal at Old Trafford came after a deflected Casemiro shot. “It's a goal but we drew, so it doesn't matter,” said Amorim, highlighting the frustration of the situation.

Man United were frustrated by West Ham’s late equaliser (Getty Images)

United's urgency was primarily generated by Fernandes, Amad, and Bryan Mbeumo, with Areola making a crucial save against the latter's curling shot. However, Zirkzee struggled to impact the game, while Cunha returned to the squad to less effect after a two-game absence. United's slow start allowed West Ham to find their footing, leading to inconsistency across the match.

Senne Lammens faced little trouble for most of the game until United faltered. Amorim noted, “The game was in control,” but admitted that failing to win second balls led to a lack of dominance and ultimately, dropped points. United remains only two points from fourth place yet also just three points ahead of 14th.