Manchester United suffered another setback in their bid to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League after losing 1-0 to West Ham. The Red Devils were unable to find the back of the net, with David de Gea’s howler leading to Said Benrahma’s first-half goal. The Hammers looked more likely to score in the second half, and the game ended in a 1-0 win for the home side. The match kicked off at 7pm BST and was broadcast on BT Sport 1. West Ham’s starting XI included Fabianski, Aguerd, Cresswell, Kehrer, Ogbonna, Benrahma, Bowen, Rice, Soucek, Lucas Paquetá, and Antonio. Manchester United’s starting XI featured De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Shaw, Malacia; Eriksen, Casemiro; Antony, Fernandes, Rashford; and Weghorst.
West Ham’s victory was a significant one as it strengthened their case for Premier League survival. The Hammers opened the scoring after 27 minutes thanks to Said Benrahma’s weak shot, which was met by a howler from United goalkeeper De Gea. The East Londoners came close to a second but had two goals overruled. Manchester United dominated 65% of possession against West Ham and produced a total of 19 shots, but only four of them were on target. The Hammers registered 15 shots, four of which were on target.
Manchester United remain fourth in the Premier League table with only one point ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool. However, United have a game in hand and are only two points behind Newcastle, who are third. West Ham, on the other hand, are 15th with seven points separating them from the relegation zone. The Hammers have amassed 37 points, which is usually enough to avoid the drop.
West Ham star Lucas Paqueta stood out against Manchester United with another impressive display. Paqueta dominated in midfield and almost picked up an assist but Tomas Soucek’s goal was chalked off for offside. West Ham superstar Declan Rice is “buzzing” after the “massive” victory over Manchester United. Rice said, “The lads, they gave it absolutely everything, to win this one we knew it was big. Some things go for you in football and that was one of those things. Yeah, I’m buzzing.”