West Ham netted twice in a span of six minutes, handing Manchester United their eighth Premier League defeat of the season at the London Stadium.
It took 72 minutes in a lackluster match for West Ham to break the deadlock, with Lucas Paqueta delivering the ball to Jarrod Bowen, who managed to bundle it past Andre Onana, securing the opening goal.
Mohammed Kudus extended the lead by capitalizing on Kobbie Mainoo’s defensive error, drilling the ball into the bottom corner.
Manchester United, with only one win in their last five Premier League matches, find themselves in a challenging position. Erik ten Hag’s team has experienced more losses than victories this season across all competitions.
Consequently, West Ham climbs to sixth place in the table, surpassing United, who drop to eighth.
In their upcoming fixtures, Manchester United will host the unexpected title contenders Aston Villa on Boxing Day, while West Ham is set to face Arsenal on Thursday, December 28th.
West Ham find way to win
West Ham has become accustomed to ceding possession to their opponents, having defeated both Arsenal and Tottenham in the last two months despite having less than 30% possession.
However, in the first half of a lackluster game marked by poor quality from both sides, David Moyes’ team struggled to capitalize on counterattacks.
Jarrod Bowen’s impressive header from a corner forced Andre Onana to make a crucial save as West Ham grappled to find their rhythm.
The turning point came when Lucas Paqueta’s exquisite pass set up Bowen, prompting an increase in tempo and crowd enthusiasm.
Mohammed Kudus extended their lead with his 10th goal of the season, nine of which were scored at the London Stadium, leaving Manchester United struggling to regain control of the game.
While fans are urging West Ham manager David Moyes to seek a striker in the January transfer market, the trio of Bowen, Kudus, and Paqueta, who has contributed to the Hammers’ last five league goals, suggests that West Ham is poised for another successful season.
An unhappy Christmas for Man Utd
After securing a point against Liverpool at Anfield in their previous outing, Manchester United briefly experienced a lift in morale. However, following a lackluster performance against a team led by their former manager, the statistical outlook is quite disheartening.
United has already suffered 13 defeats in various competitions this season. The last time they endured more losses before Christmas was in the 1930-31 season when they recorded 16 losses, ultimately finishing at the bottom of the top flight.
Furthermore, their current season has seen more defeats than in all 62 competitive games of the previous term. Additionally, they have failed to score in their last four matches across all competitions, a feat not witnessed since November 1992 under Alex Ferguson.
Rasmus Hojlund, who was substituted for Marcus Rashford after 55 minutes, is yet to score in the Premier League, while Antony has not registered a goal or an assist in all 19 appearances this season.
Despite the extensive list of injuries for Ten Hag, necessitating the inclusion of 19-year-old defender Willy Kambwala for his first senior appearance, the limited chances created with the available forward players will be a cause for concern for the Dutchman.
Their reaction to falling behind seemed characterized by a lack of concern, and they must swiftly regroup with the challenge of facing an in-form Villa looming ahead.
Meanwhile, the off-field ambiguity regarding their ownership persists, and the likelihood of a resolution before Christmas seems increasingly doubtful.