West Ham 2-1 Man Utd: Hammers snatch victory
West Ham 2-1 Man Utd: Hammers snatch victory. In what would be deemed a controversial stoppage-time penalty, which was expertly converted by Jarrod Bowen, saw West Ham United snatch a 2-1 victory at home to Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.
Erik ten Hag’s United side dominated a scoreless first-half, and as well squandering lots of clear-cut of chances. Crysencio Summerville’s 74th-minute opener was quickly cancelled out by Casemiro, before the VAR advised that the hosts be awarded a penalty in the 90th minute.
Bowen made no mistake, as he drilled a low effort beyond Andre Onana’s dive to secure West Ham’s third consecutive home league victory over United.
How the game unfolded;
Sunday’s first half at the London Stadium was fittingly played at the pace of a leisurely stroll. West Ham’s backline couldn’t break out of an amble, but were also worryingly ambivalent. The hosts watched on in a fog of apathy as United repeatedly knocked simple long balls in behind, West Ham’s defenders not so much trying to stop a goal as get a really good look at one.
But United could not punish West Ham. Alejandro Garnacho hit the crossbar, Bruno Fernandes also proved to be wayward and Diogo Dalot shanked a volley wide when presented with an open goal.
The twitching figure of Julen Lopetegui was West Ham’s most active representative in the first half. The manager took the proactive approach of a triple half-time substitution, which sparked a remarkable uptick in urgency and energy from the hosts – who couldn’t help but be boldened by United’s ineffectiveness.
A cheap giveaway from Garnacho in United’s half was gobbled up by the reenergised hosts in the 74th minute. Danny Ings – another sub – scuffed Bowen’s cross towards the far post where Summerville was arriving to stab West Ham in front.
The hosts held onto their lead for all of seven minutes. Sinking closer and closer to the stadium’s running track, West Ham’s flimsy resolve crumbled at a set piece, watching on as Dalot and Joshua Zirkzee won headers inside the box before Casemiro nodded United level.
As both sides belatedly stumbled out of their slumber, there was a late flurry of controversy. United’s Matthijs de Ligt lumbered towards a ball dropping inside the visitors’ box, brushing legs with Ings rather than kicking him. No foul was awarded on the pitch but David Coote had his mind surprisingly changed after a pitch-side VAR review.
Bowen kept his cool amid United’s vociferous protests to restore West Ham’s lead in the 92nd minute.
