Heaven Gets an Unexpected Start
Ruben Amorim had hinted before kick-off that two Manchester United players were doubtful, and his starting eleven confirmed that Matthijs de Ligt had suffered a knock severe enough to rule him out. His absence forced a reshuffle, and 19-year-old Ayden Heaven was handed a significant opportunity at the centre of United’s back three. It was a bold decision, one that reflected both necessity and Amorim’s willingness to trust a teenager in a demanding fixture.
Heaven showed early composure but also signs of inexperience, picking up a booking while trying to contain Callum Wilson. With the risk of a second yellow looming, Amorim acted decisively at half-time and replaced him with Leny Yoro. It was a pragmatic choice that prevented further disruption to a defence already stretched by injuries to De Ligt and Harry Maguire, both of whom remained unavailable.
United Hurt via Set Piece
United entered the contest as the league’s most productive side from set pieces, while West Ham had conceded more from dead-ball situations than any other Premier League team. It seemed the ideal platform for the hosts to exploit their clear advantage, particularly given Carlos Fernandes’s influence on this aspect of United’s game. Their corners did cause problems, and at times West Ham appeared vulnerable under the high ball.
Yet irony struck at Old Trafford. For all United’s improvement in this area, it was West Ham who found a breakthrough from a corner, turning one of their rare moments of attacking threat into the equaliser. Senne Lammens had enjoyed a relatively comfortable evening until that stage, but poor marking allowed Soungoutou Magassa to convert from close range and undo United’s earlier work. Conceding in such a manner will sting Amorim, especially considering United had controlled large stretches of the match.
Zirkzee Goes Back to Struggling
Joshua Zirkzee retained his place for a third successive match, yet this latest display encapsulated the mixture of flair and frustration that has marked his time at Old Trafford. He produced flashes of delicate link play, especially during United’s strongest spells before the interval, and he was denied a goal only by Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s smart clearance off the line. When the team moved with tempo, he knitted attacks together effectively.
However, when United slowed, he drifted out of the game, unable to provide the presence or ruthlessness required to lift the side. It was a performance that ebbed and flowed with the team around him, rather than one that imposed itself on proceedings. As fatigue crept in and United became increasingly nervous while defending a narrow lead, Amorim replaced him with Mason Mount to inject greater energy. Such inconsistency will do little to secure Zirkzee’s long-term place.
Devils Lack Intensity Again
Amorim had urged his side to begin with far greater urgency, yet the opening half-hour painted a familiar picture. United were ponderous, predictable, and lacking the aggression required to unsettle even a struggling West Ham team. A sharper opponent might have punished them during this lethargic spell, but the visitors lacked the quality to capitalise fully.
When United finally injected pace and purpose into their play, they looked a far more coherent outfit, finishing the first half as the dominant side. Dalot’s goal should have provided a platform for control, yet the team’s energy dropped again, and they never rediscovered the authority they had briefly shown. That recurring pattern, one of sporadic intensity rather than sustained pressure, continues to undermine progress.
