Manchester United’s perfect run under interim boss Michael Carrick came to an end on Tuesday, though it wasn’t a defeat for the Reds, thanks to some stoppage-time heroics.
Carrick went with an unchanged XI for the third game in a row, but the team finally met the tight defensive test that some had suspected in each of the past two games. West Ham weren’t necessarily in a low block, but the pressure in midfield and ability to collapse on ball carriers at the right time made for a frustrating first
half.
United had a look on a set piece delivery from Luke Shaw, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka had one of several good defensive actions to deal with the creativity of his former teammate. Amad had another good look at goal towards the end of the half, but fired wide on a chance created by Shaw.
An uneventful first half didn’t force any changes at halftime, but a goal out of the break for West Ham got Benjamin Sesko warming up on the touchline.
Luke Shaw got caught trying to deal with a runner in space by himself, and lost the battle as the rest of the team got back to defend. Jarrod Bowen’s low cross was met at the near post by Tomas Soucek, who turned it in past Senne Lammens for 1-0.
United thought they’d found an answer through Casemiro, but a VAR review overturned the goal. Kobbie Mainoo played a cross in toward the Brazilian, but he was only just getting past the last man in defense when the ball was played.
Sesko arrived as a reinforcement in place of Matheus Cunha, who had been frustrated for much of the game, but the introduction of a focal point for the attack didn’t immediately pay off. The problems remained largely in midfield, where United struggled to progress the ball through the West Ham press before they could even get to the final third creation stage.
In stoppage time it was another striker off the bench Joshua Zirkzee, who had a chance to equalize, seeing a glancing header painfully pass just outside the far left post. Just a moment later, Sesko got a chance of his own on a low inswinger from Mbeumo, falling perfectly for him to hit a shot inside the near post and give United the goal they were so desperate for.
There was still time for a winner, but Amad couldn’t get a shot off on United’s last venture forward, and the game ended all square.
Carrick will have two weeks to work with the squad before heading back out against Everton at whatever their fancy new stadium is called.
