When Casemiro headed home with fewer than ten minutes remaining to negate Crysencio Summerville’s 74th-minute opening, he believed he had won a point for the visitors.
However, with three minutes left, the Video Assistant Referee summoned referee David Coote to the pitchside monitor to assess Matthijs de Ligt’s challenge on Danny Ings in the area, which infuriated United.
Bowen easily converted, slipping past Andre Onana, after Coote pointed to the spot despite protests from United’s players over an Ings handball.
At London Stadium, United controlled the first half’s possession and scoring opportunities, but the visitors lacked a decisive edge and were left to lament their lost opportunities.
At London Stadium, United controlled the first half’s possession and scoring opportunities, but the visitors lacked a decisive edge and were left to lament their lost opportunities.
Following a lackluster first half, West Ham showed improvement after the break and attacked United’s box relentlessly, finally winning when Summerville slid in to put Ings’ scuffed effort into the net.
With only three victories in their first nine games, the outcome puts United in 14th place in the Premier League, further taxing manager Erik ten Hag.
But after a lackluster start to the season, West Ham’s victory makes a statement as they climb up one spot above United.
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Man Utd’s wasted first-half chances
When the referee sounded the halftime whistle, Ten Hag’s team should have been out of reach, but it was a bad day at the office in front of goal.
Former teammate Aaron Wan-Bissaka had a difficult afternoon due to Alejandro Garnacho’s continual danger on the left wing, who came close to opening the score in the second minute by rattling the home team’s crossbar.
Diogo Dalot missed an open goal after deftly flicking the ball past Lukasz Fabianski, and the Argentine fired wide shortly after.
The visitors continued to dominate the first half, with Bruno Fernandes lofting a header over the bar and Fabianski smothering attempts from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund.
Just before halftime, Fabianski made a spectacular one-handed save to keep Casemiro from heading home, and the crossbar once again worked in West Ham’s favor by blocking a defensive header from Edson Alvarez.
There will surely be more concerns over Ten Hag’s future at the club given that they have only won once in their past eight games.
Lopetegui is saved by substitutes
Lopetegui made three substitutions because he was obviously dissatisfied with his team’s poor first-half performance, in which they failed to manage a single shot on goal.
With 20 minutes left, Ings was substituted in place of Summerville, Tomas Soucek, and Jean-Clair Todibo after Carlos Soler, Lucas Paqueta, and Konstantinos Mavropanos were hauled off.
Summerville, a £25 million summer acquisition who finished the previous season with 20 goals for Leeds United in the Championship, will be happy to start in east London.
While Ings appeared threatening as his teammates lofted balls into the area, the Dutchman caused trouble on the right wing.
After only managing one shot in the first half, the Irons began to focus on attack as their primary defensive strategy and made 11 attempts while minimizing their opponent’s opportunities.
This outcome might signal a change in fortunes for Lopetegui and West Ham following their humiliating 4-1 loss to Tottenham the previous Saturday.
