Manchester United's hopes of securing back-to-back Premier League victories were dashed in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night, as a stoppage-time equaliser from West Ham United's Soungoutou Magassa forced a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
Patched-Up Defence Proves Costly for United
The Red Devils, buoyed by their win over Crystal Palace, were aiming to climb towards the Champions League places. They took the lead through a rare goal from defender Diogo Dalot, his first in the league since May 2024. However, manager Ruben Amorim was forced to field a makeshift defence due to injuries to Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt.
This experimental backline, featuring Luke Shaw and Noussair Mazraoui centrally alongside young Ayden Heaven, showed signs of vulnerability. Heaven, in particular, struggled and was substituted at half-time for Leny Yoro after picking up an early yellow card. This instability at the back ultimately proved costly in the dying moments.
Hammers' Resilience Rewarded at the Death
For much of the contest, West Ham displayed the stubbornness that has seen them lose just once in their last five outings. Their resilience was epitomised by former United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who made a crucial goalline clearance to deny Joshua Zirkzee a certain goal in the second half.
The Hammers' persistence paid off deep into added time. After a Mazraoui clearance, the ball fell to Soungoutou Magassa, who kept his composure to slot a cool finish into the bottom corner. The 22-year-old's first Premier League goal sparked wild celebrations from the visiting side, who snatched a precious point in their battle against relegation.
Individual Performances Offer Solace for Amorim
Despite the frustration of dropping two points, there were positive individual displays for United. Casemiro delivered another commanding performance in midfield, making key tackles, interceptions, and blocks, underlining his importance to the side this season.
The result leaves Ruben Amorim's side in eighth position in the Premier League table ahead of a Monday night fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers. West Ham, meanwhile, remain in the bottom three but will take significant confidence from their late show at Old Trafford.
