West Ham 2 Man Utd 0: Hammers leapfrog woeful United as Erik ten Hag’s struggling side lose THIRTEENTH match of season
JARROD BOWEN and Mohammed Kudus heaped more misery on toothless Manchester United with two goals in six second-half minutes.
Erik Ten Hag’s side had the better opportunities before Bowen and Kudus hit them with a deadly combination to send the Hammers leapfrogging over the visitors into sixth place.
United have now failed to score in four consecutive games for the first time since November 1992, the season when Alex Ferguson finally ended their long wait for a title.
And yet again they looked miles away from being contenders in another disappointing display.
Bowen went into the game with 10 Premier League goals, more than United’s starting 11 combined.
And he ended it with 11 more than Rasmus Hojlund, the mega-money signing who was hooked by Ten Hag before the hour.
Lucas Paqueta created Bowen’s goal with an astute pass and then fed Kudus, who eluded Jonny Evans far too easily before striking the ball into the far corner.
Until the quickfire brace, though, it seemed David Moyes’ decision to rest half his team for the Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat at Liverpool was going to backfire.
West Ham’s first-choice starting 11 had done little to worry a makeshift United defence, particularly in a first half that was mostly about as appetising as the raw chicken that United allegedly offered guests at a corporate function.
The club earned a one of out of five hygiene rating as a result, and the football both sides served up was of the same standard.
West Ham left back Emerson forced a save out Andre Onana as early as the fifth minute, but after that there was very little excitement in either penalty area for what felt like days.
Home goalkeeper Alphonse Areola had more to do than Onana, but all his saves were routine until the 35th minute when Antony seized on Mohammed Kudus’ stray pass and played in Alejandro Garnacho.
But the young Argentine’s finish was weak and Areola kept it out with his right leg.
Soon afterwards, Garnacho’s attempted cross was deflected over the bar by Lucas Paqueta. From the resulting corner, Areola made a meal of stopping Kobbie Mainoo’s bobbling effort.
United were gaining in confidence and Antony’s tempting fine low cross eluded everyone but Garnacho, but the angle was against him. All West Ham could manage was a Tomas Soucek header from that went wide after a James Ward-Prowse free kick.
The home side started the second half with a little more intent and Onana made a good save when Bowen headed a Ward-Prowse corner goalwards.
Ten Hag had seen enough and hooked Hojlund in the 57th minute, in favour of Marcus Rashford.
Almost immediately, Evans and Onana nearly got each other into trouble and at last the game seemed to be coming to a simmer.
Kurt Zouma did well to stop a Luke Shaw cross reaching Garnacho and then finally it happened, thanks to an old-fashioned give and go.
Bowen ran on to Paqueta’s clever, clipped return ball and bundled the ball past Onana and over the line.
The second goal was United’s own fault. Mainoo failed to collect an Evans pass and Kudus gave the ball to Paqueta. The Brazilian picked out the winger’s run but the Ghanaian still had plenty to do.
And Evans let him do it, getting nowhere near Kudus before the West Ham man continued his fine scoring run with a low shot across Onana and into the net
Edson Alvarez stopped United substitute Facundo Pellistri ending their goalless run with a fine block in stoppage time.