Explore the excitement of West Ham’s dramatic 2-1 win over United, highlighted by Bowen’s last-minute penalty that sealed the match in stunning fashion.
Introduction:
The evening was dramatic as West Ham United thumped Manchester United 2-1 in a game of Premier League on 27th October 2024, at the London Stadium, as the game was already over in the second minute of stoppage time because Jarrod Bowen who converted a controversial penalty for West Ham United dealt a blow to Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United as this win lifted West Ham to 13th and placed United at 14th position, putting Ten Hag under growing pressure.
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Early Pressure and Missed Chances
Garnacho and Dalot Denied: Manchester United got off to a bright start, with Alejandro Garnacho nearly giving the visitors the lead in the second minute when his curling shot hit the crossbar. Rasmus Hojlund had a powerful attempt that forced Lukasz Fabianski to make a save, while Bruno Fernandes missed a header, and Diogo Dalot squandered a clear chance with a shot that sailed over the bar. Despite dominating possession, United’s finishing woes proved costly.
Alvarez Stays United at Bay
Deep into the first half, West Ham’s Edson Alvarez denied United an equalizer by heading Christian Eriksen’s corner off the crossbar. United were unable to capitalize on that early momentum, which created a tough second half in the making.
See also: Cole Palmer Leads Chelsea to Victory in 2-1 Win Over Newcastle United
West Ham Seizes the Lead
Summerville’s Golden Strike: It was in the 74th minute when Crysencio Summerville capitalized on a loose ball following a miscue from substitute Danny Ings, after Bowen’s cross meant for Ings, who fumbled, and Summerville tapped it home at the far post. This goal demonstrated tenacity by West Ham and punished United for their earlier misses.
Casemiro’s Equalizer
Manchester United responded with lightning quickness when Casemiro headed in from close to the equalizer in the 81st minute, although the United joy was of the shortest lived kind as pressure went both ways with minutes of time remaining. Casemiro’s goal added tension in both teams, thus resulting in a last-push contest.
Bowen Settles It with Late Penalty Kick
VAR Decides Again: All West Ham needed was a little relief from God, which is exactly what they got in the final minutes of stoppage time as Matthijs de Ligt moved in to commit a foul on Danny Ings. The decision was to play on from referee David Coote, who subsequently overruled the decision after a recommendation for an on-field review from the VAR. Referee Coote overturned his decision and gave the penalty. Cool from the spot, Jarrod Bowen sealed a dramatic 2-1 win for the Hammers.
But Bowen’s well-taken penalty capped an intense match, handed West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui three valuable points, and helped his side leapfrog United to add to the growing pressure on Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag’s Challenges Grow
United’s Struggles Continue: The defeat attracted more attention to Erik ten Hag. United had started the season poorly, and it left them with 11 points after eight games, which was their lowest points count at this stage since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the 2019-2020 season. The latest defeat just added more fuel to the fire of questions regarding Ten Hag’s leadership and tactics following a lacklustre display against Fenerbahce in the Europa League midweek.
Key Decisions and Missed Chances
Despite having all the possession and plenty of scoring opportunities, United paid in ineptitude in front of the goal. An excellent early miss by Garnacho, an untimely squandered opportunity by Dalot, and several near misses pointed at the problem of United’s attacking front. Even an equalizing score by Casemiro did not perk them up to bounce back as they succumbed to a disheartening defeat in penalty time when Bowen’s effort came out good.
With a match looming against Chelsea, Ten Hag and United are in for another stern test in the following weeks. The pressure really mounts on United to win consistently and convert their positive start into results.
Much-needed relief for Lopetegui at last as his team put in a much-needed win as the tactical changes paid off this time.
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui made four changes after being defeated 4-1 by Tottenham. It all paid off with the coming in of Alvarez, Fabianski, Carlos Soler, and Konstantinos Mavropano who helped the team to resilience and adaptability. West Ham was missing Mohammed Kudus due to suspension; however, they went forward well in the second half as they showed better coordination in taking control of the game.
Building Momentum
This win gives Lopetegui a much better chance of having a winning sequence. West Ham now can set their focus ahead and can look forward to playing against Nottingham Forest, while in the case of Lopetegui, the glimmer of hope remains in extending this spell in the league table. West Ham still has much relief as it would be their second home victory since the beginning of this season. In the next fortnight, it will look to maintain this flow in order to become more stable.
Conclusion:
West Ham took it dramatically in the last minute for Manchester United, with a clear difference between these two teams in terms of how determined and adaptable they could be. The fact that Bowen’s penalty sealed such a vital Hammers win would leave Ten Hag with a pretty tough challenge, especially when both teams work on trying to stabilize the rest of their seasons; thus, the title is at a boiling point now with drama and pressure experienced on all sides by management and players.