Manchester United were left frustrated once again at Old Trafford as Soungoutou Magassa’s late goal earned West Ham a 1-1 draw on Wednesday night.
Ruben Amorim’s men were aiming to build on their comeback victory away at Crystal Palace last weekend, especially after the disappointing home defeat to Everton in their previous outing. And for a while, it looked like they would.
Diogo Dalot struck early in the second half to put United ahead, finishing calmly after Casemiro’s deflected strike fell kindly to him in the box.
But the Red Devils’ failure to defend a late corner proved costly as Magassa reacted quickest to a loose ball after a goal-line clearance to snatch a point for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in the 83rd minute.
The final whistle was met with boos, a clear sign from the home fans that the team’s rebuild remains very much a work in progress.
United had been slow to get going in the first half, relying on Bruno Fernandes to spark creativity.
The captain went close with an acrobatic effort that clipped the outside of the post, while Alphonse Areola produced a brilliant save to deny Bryan Mbeumo’s curling strike after a cleverly worked corner.
At the other end, Aaron Wan-Bissaka came to United’s rescue by clearing off the line when Joshua Zirkzee bundled a cross goalward, with Matheus Cunha’s improvised overhead kick blocked in the scramble.
After the break, Amorim swapped out the shaky Ayden Heaven for Leny Yoro, but West Ham still threatened on the counter, with Magassa firing into the side netting before eventually making his crucial impact.
Dalot’s goal injected belief into United, and he left the pitch to applause when replaced by Patrick Dorgu midway through the half.
Fernandes later saw a close-range header saved as the hosts pushed for a second.
But West Ham stayed in the fight. A near-post flick from Jarrod Bowen caused chaos in the box, leading to Magassa drilling home the equaliser after Mazraoui’s attempted clearance fell at his feet.
The visitors nearly completed the comeback moments later, but Amad Diallo’s intervention prevented Bowen’s dangerous cross from finding a teammate.
Fernandes then dragged a shot wide in stoppage time, sealing another night of regret for United.
United remain inconsistent and the fans’ reaction summed up the mood, progress is being made under Amorim, but results like this show they are far from the finished article.
