Manchester United lost to West Ham United in dramatic circumstances at the London Stadium on Sunday to leave them 14th in the Premier League.
The pressure will mount on Erik ten Hag after another poor result following a string of missed chances — with the worst of the lot being Diogo Dalot somehow putting the ball over the bar from eight yards out with the goal gaping.
Crysencio Summerville put West Ham ahead with 25 minutes to go before Casemiro scored an 81st-minute equaliser for the visitors.
Then, in stoppage time, Matthijs de Ligt brought Danny Ings down in the area and following a lengthy VAR check the home team were awarded a penalty. Jarrod Bowen converted from the spot to condemn United to their fourth defeat from their opening nine league games.
Here, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell analyses the key talking points from the match.
What does the defeat mean for Ten Hag?
Manchester United were much the better team than West Ham, but this result only ramps up the pressure on Erik ten Hag, even though it arrived with a huge degree of misfortune.
Ten Hag will, justifiably, complain bitterly about the awarding of the penalty to West Ham that inflicted defeat on his team, and his players also missed several chances, enough to easily win the game. Nevertheless, United sit 14th in the Premier League, having scored only eight goals in nine games, and that is clearly nowhere near good enough and gives the hierarchy at Old Trafford plenty of cause for reflection.
Ten Hag on the touchline at the London Stadium (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The last time United had scored fewer than nine goals after nine games in a league campaign was in 1973-74 (also eight). The club were relegated at the end of the season.
How on earth did Dalot miss that?
Even Diogo Dalot, one of the most positive and committed members of Erik ten Hag’s squad, will surely not want to watch back his attempt at a finish in the 32nd minute. It will go down as one of the misses of the season.
He had done so much right, as well. Playing at right-back again after being switched there for the visit of Brentford last week in the absence of Noussair Mazraoui, his runs forward through the middle were once more a deliberate strategy by Ten Hag.
Against Brentford that movement created a chance when Andre Onana played a straight pass over the top, and it was the same against West Ham as Dalot sensed an opportunity to get forward when the ball rolled to Bruno Fernandes in midfield.
Fernandes saw Dalot’s well-timed run and played a first-time aerial pass. Lukasz Fabianksi rushed out to intercept but Dalot got their first and his touch round the West Ham goalkeeper set up what looked to be a simple finish into an unguarded net.
Dalot takes the ball past Fabianski (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
The ball was bouncing and two West Ham defenders were scrambling to recover but Dalot rightly took his time. But when he came to apply the final touch, he sliced the ball wide.
Diogo Dalot puts in his entry for miss of the season…#WHUMUN | #WHUFC | #MUFC pic.twitter.com/hd8HA9qblh
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) October 27, 2024
Dalot sunk to his knees while Rasmus Hojlund looked aghast and Alejandro Garnacho pulled his shirt up to his chin in frustration. There was a stunned clamour inside the London Stadium, which subsided when West Ham fans began revelling in Dalot’s error.
A stunned Dalot after his miss (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
United continue to struggle in front of goal
Dalot’s chance was the most glaring that went awry for United at West Ham, but there were several other players who should have opened the scoring for Ten Hag’s team in the first half.
United went in at the break with an expected goals (xG) figure of 1.48, compared to West Ham’s 0.04, after having eight shots. Ahead of the game they already had the biggest gap between xG and goals scored in the top flight, and the difference has now only widened.
They also failed to score from four big chances, meaning overall they have missed 22 this season, which is the most in the Premier League by a distance.
Garnacho had two very good chances inside the opening ten minutes. His first, from a square ball by Fernandes after Christian Eriksen had seized on a loose West Ham pass following a United press, saw him hit the bar. For his second, having been put through on the wing by Fernandes after neat interchanges, he missed the target completely.
Hojlund failed to convert his opportunity in the box when Garnacho’s low cross came his way. The opening came after more nice team-work and Hojlund wriggled smartly to shoot but Fabianski blocked.
In the 20th minute Marcus Rashford was through on goal but didn’t even get a shot away after failing to take the ball with him on his run.
United twice nearly took the lead from set pieces after Dalot’s miss. Edson Alvarez headed against own bar from Eriksen’s corner and on the stroke of half-time the Dane delivered another dangerous ball, this time from a free-kick, that Casemiro glanced towards the far corner.
First-team coach Darren Fletcher, who watches games from the stands with the analysts, was heading down to the dressing room and had his arms raised in celebration, only for Fabianski to reach out a glove for a super save.
Hojlund drew another good stop from Fabianski in the second half but it took until the 82nd minute, after West Ham had taken the lead, for United to finally score through Casemiro’s header.
Stoppage-time VAR drama
The awarding of a penalty to West Ham that decided this game left United furious. Michael Oliver, acting as VAR, intervened when De Ligt and Ings came together in the box.
He believed there was sufficient contact of the lower legs to give a foul. Referee David Coote decided no infringement had taken place in real time, but Oliver ordered him to the touchline screen and, inevitably, the official pointed to the spot.
#WHUMUN – 87’ VAR OVERTURN
The referee did not award a penalty to West Ham for a challenge by de Ligt on Ings. The VAR deemed there was sufficient contact on Ings’ lower leg and recommended an on-field review. The referee overturned his original decision and awarded a penalty.
— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) October 27, 2024
In the stands, Darren Fletcher, first-team coach, was livid. “One week it’s a high threshold, next week it’s not, fucking joke,” said Fletcher, who watches United games with analysts.
His feelings were replicated by Ten Hag and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who appealed in vain to fourth official Thomas Bramall. De Ligt and his team-mates also pointed out the ball had struck Ings’ hand when the big screens at the London Stadium showed a replay.
Nevertheless, the call stood and Jarrod Bowen swept the ball past Andre Onana to condemn Ten Hag and his team to a damaging defeat.
Ten Hag protests as the late penalty is awarded (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
What did Erik ten Hag say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What next for Manchester United?
Wednesday, October 30: Leicester City (H), Carabao Cup round of 16, 7.45pm UK, 3.45pm ET
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(Top photo: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images))
