Manchester United let another home victory slip through their fingers as Soungoutou Magassa’s late finish earned West Ham a deserved 1–1 draw, leaving Ruben Amorim’s side ruing missed chances and another lapse in game management.
United had looked on course to climb further up the table when Diogo Dalot smashed in the opener just before the hour mark, a goal that briefly lifted the home crowd and seemed to steady a team still scarred by their recent collapse against 10-man Everton. But their inability to close matches out struck again, and Magassa’s composed rebound denied them what would have been a vital win.
The draw nudges United above Liverpool into eighth, but it was far from the leap forward they needed. West Ham, still stuck in the relegation zone, continue to show life under Nuno Espírito Santo, collecting eight points from their last five matches and closing the gap to safety to just two points.
For half an hour, West Ham posed real questions. Casemiro had to throw himself in front of Matheus Fernandes’ low drive, and United’s back line looked uncomfortable whenever the visitors pushed forward. Eventually, though, United asserted control. Alphonse Areola tipped Bryan Mbeumo’s driven cross over the bar, Joshua Zirkzee was denied on the line by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Bruno Fernandes shaved the post on the rebound. United ended the half with a season-high volume of touches in the box, but nothing to show for it.
Amorim replaced Ayden Heaven at the break — the youngster booked early and walking a tightrope — but kept faith in his 3-4-3, and it was his left wing-back who delivered the breakthrough. Dalot drifted in unnoticed, pounced on a loose ball, and hammered it home to give United the lead and temporarily hush Old Trafford’s tension.
But instead of consolidating, United slipped back into bad habits. Their grip on the match loosened, they lost control of second balls, and confidence seeped away. West Ham sensed it immediately. Substitute Andy Irving’s first touch was a whipped corner, Jarrod Bowen flicked it goalward, and although Noussair Mazraoui cleared off the line, Magassa reacted fastest to sweep in the equaliser.
From that point, United wobbled. West Ham even carved out half-chances to snatch all three points, their belief growing as United retreated. Nuno’s side may still sit in the bottom three, but their structure, discipline, and momentum suggest they will not be there much longer.
United, on the other hand, remain puzzlingly inconsistent. The path to Champions League qualification is still open, but displays like this — flat, careless, and short of conviction in key moments — will not get them there.
Amorim insisted afterwards that the match had been under control before his side lost the ball too easily and surrendered momentum. Nuno, meanwhile, praised his players for their bravery and organisation in a stadium where many teams crumble.
Old Trafford once again felt like a missed opportunity — and United once again felt like a side unsure of exactly who they want to be.
