WEST HAM 2-1 MANCHESTER UNITED
by Paul Donovan
at London Stadium

THIS was a game that Manchester United lost, rather than West Ham won, at the London Stadium.

The visitors should have been out of sight by half time, with three clear-cut chances spurned.

The first came two minutes in when Bruno Fernandes set up Alejandro Garnachov centrally placed on the edge of the area. But the resulting shot bounced back off the bar.

Then Fernandes himself received a cross, alone on the edge of the goal area but managed to head over.

The best chance fell to Diogo Dalot, put away by Fernandes, he poked the ball past advancing West Ham keeper Lukasz Fabianski, but having done the hard bit, somehow conjured to blast over an unguarded net.

Fabianski then pushed a corner onto the bar and saved a Casemiro header.

West Ham’s one effort of the half was a hopeful header from Lucas Paqueta, which went just over.

Three substitutions at half time seemed to energise the home side.

Michail Antonio got round the back, but saw Emerson miss his kick in front of goal.

The industrious Garnacho, then, set up a chance for Rasmus Hojlund, but Fabianski managed to push the effort round the post.

West Ham then took the lead, when a Jarrod Bowen cross was scuffed by Danny Ings, but Crysencio Summerville came round the back to force home.

The visitors, though, were soon level, when a game of head tennis in the penalty area saw Joshua Zirkzee head on for Casemiro to finish.

The West Ham winner came when Danny Ings was adjudged to have been fouled in the penalty area, a soft one by any standards, but Bowen duly converted the penalty.

West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui saw it was a game of two halves.

“They were better in the first half, we were better in the second,” said Lopetegui, who explained that Summerville had been held back for the second half when it was felt his energy could have maximum impact on a team that played in Europe on Thursday.

Many were surprised that the former Leeds player did not start in place of the suspended Mohammed Kudus.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag criticised the process around the penalty. He could not see anything clear and obvious that justified the VAR intervention.

“We created so many chances, played such good football. We had very good build-up, playing between the lines and creating chances,”said Ten Hag.

“But we didn’t score. Not so many criticisms of my team, other than scoring.”

So Julen Lopetegui lives to fight another day. The future for Erik Ten Hag looks more problematic.