West Ham 2-0 MU: No regrets about losing

Goal
West Ham:Bowen (72'), Kudus (78')

Visiting West Ham, MU took the field with the familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. Captain Bruno Fernandes returned to the starting lineup after suspension, and the Red Devils' central midfield duo were Scott McTominay - Kobbie Mainoo.

Notably, in defense, coach Erik ten Hag introduced a very new name, that is 19-year-old French center-back - Willy Kambwala. Kambwala plays with Jonny Evans, and the two wings are Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw.

After the opening whistle, West Ham was the better team. In the 5th minute, defender Emerson forced Andre Onana to dive to save MU with a powerful left-footed shot into the near corner.

Over time, MU gradually regained control of the game but appeared to be stuck. The Red Devils' attacks were disjointed and lacked innovation. Up front, Hojlund completely disappeared when he could not find a link with his teammates.

It wasn't until the 35th minute that MU created their first notable opportunity. Receiving a pass from Antony, Alejandro Garnacho broke through and faced goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. The Red Devils' number 17 chose to shoot near the corner instead of aiming for the far corner, and Areola successfully blocked it. A good chance missed by MU.

In the second half, MU tried to increase the speed of the match to find a goal. However, the visitors' attacks were easily broken by West Ham. Meanwhile, West Ham always showed danger every time they organized an attack. In the 56th minute, goalkeeper Onana flew to save MU spectacularly after Jarrod Bowen's header.

Playing so poorly, MU had to pick the ball out of the net as an inevitable consequence. In the 72nd minute, receiving a great pass from Lucas Paqueta, Bowen rushed down and finished accurately from close range to break the tie. Just 6 minutes later, the gap was doubled for West Ham, this time due to Mainoo's personal mistake.

The 18-year-old talent missed the ball in midfield, and this fatal mistake was immediately paid for when West Ham organized an attack. Mohamed Kudus dribbled a few more times and then coldly kicked a cross from a distance beyond Onana's reach to make it 2-0. This goal completely extinguished the fighting spirit of MU, leaving the visitors helpless in finding an honorary goal.

In the end, MU lost 0-2 to West Ham at London Stadium in round 18 of the 2023/24 Premier League. This defeat caused MU to drop to 8th place with 28 points, while West Ham climbed to 6th place with 30 points. If they continue to play like this, the ambition of winning a ticket to the European Cup next season of Erik ten Hag and his team is really far away.

In round 19, MU will host Aston Villa at Old Trafford.

Line-up
West Ham:Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Mavropanos, Emerson, Soucek, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Kudus (Johnson 90'+3), Bowen (Fornals 88'), Paqueta.
MU:Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Kambwala (Reguilon 84'), Evans, Shaw, Mainoo, McTominay, Antony (Pellistri 73'), Fernandes, Garnacho (Eriksen 85'), Hojlund (Rashford 57').