Manchester United drew 1-1 with West Ham, missing another chance to break into the top 5! Habitual lapses persist, and Amrabat’s January signings may still fall short.

Manchester United was held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham at Old Trafford, losing the opportunity to climb to fifth place in the Premier League. Since last month, the Red Devils have had four chances to enter the top four or five but have failed to capitalize each time. Whenever opportunity arises, Ruben Amrabat’s team consistently falters.

At the pre-match press conference, Amrabat cryptically mentioned that two key players might miss the game. Initial rumors pointed to captain Bruno Fernandes and striker Zirkzee, but both trained and started the match as expected.

The real absentee was center-back De Ligt. The Dutch defender, who has played every game this season and recently won the club’s November Player of the Month award, missed the match due to a minor injury. Youngster Eden Haven made his first start. Additionally, Mazraoui and Cunha came in to replace Lenny Yaro and Mason Mount.

“De Ligt’s issue is minor; I expect him to be available for Monday’s match against Wolves. The rest of the squad is ready,” Amrabat explained. “Why was Lenny (Yaro) on the bench? As coaches, we have to consider all factors. I spoke with him—not about whether he’d start, but to explain the reasoning behind the decision. Of course, he was disappointed, but it was a tactical choice.”

Right at kickoff, Amad Diallo penetrated West Ham’s box and fell under Mateus’s challenge, but the referee waved play on, signaling the lenient officiating for the match. After the game, fans expressed dissatisfaction with many referee decisions, believing former player Wan-Bissaka should have been sent off, and Bruno Fernandes was visibly unhappy with the referee.

In the first half, Manchester United created several good chances. First, Mbemou’s chip shot from the right wing unexpectedly curved toward goal, but West Ham’s keeper Areola made a flying save.

Then, United threatened with three consecutive shots. Amad crossed from the right, Zirkzee’s attempt was cleared off the line, Cunha’s bicycle kick was blocked, and Bruno Fernandes’s follow-up struck the outside of the post and bounced out.

Of course, the failure to win cannot be blamed solely on the referee. Before halftime, Soucek contested possession inside the box and was kicked by Mazraoui but did not go down, and no foul was given. Both teams went into the break locked at 0-0.

After the break, Yaro came on as a substitute for Haven, who had a poor first half. Amrabat’s attempt to change the game clearly did not work.

Manchester United broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when Casemiro’s long-range shot was deflected, landing perfectly for Diogo Dalot, who calmly controlled and scored. This was Dalot’s first Premier League goal in two years, giving United a 1-0 lead over West Ham.

Goal scorer Dalot was soon substituted, receiving warm applause from the away fans. Patrick Dogu came on, and Amrabat also brought on Ugart and Mount to hold the lead, but things did not go as planned. Last month, when United led Spurs 1-0, Ugart also came on, only for the opponents to score twice afterward.

This time, despite being hailed by the English media as having the best set-piece threat this season, United lost the game due to poor set-piece defending. In the 83rd minute, West Ham took a right-wing corner; Bowen’s header was cleared off the line by Mazraoui, but Soungout Magassa fired a powerful shot into the net. United had to settle for a 1-1 home draw. Statistics show the Red Devils have kept just one clean sheet this season.

As the final whistle blew, the crowd at Old Trafford couldn’t help but boo. Many fans had hoped United would take advantage of weaker recent opponents to collect more points. Unfortunately, the Red Devils once again disappointed. Moreover, the Christmas period has historically been their weakest time; in 14 matches played in December, they have lost nine!

After being held by West Ham, United’s players hung their heads and put their hands on their hips. Such a display clearly does not match the standards expected from a team aiming to return to the Champions League or even win the Premier League. A strong team must not only be creative in attack but also possess great mental strength to perform at their best during crucial moments, often exceeding expectations.

However, Manchester United is quite the opposite. When underestimated, they can raise their level under pressure, but when expectations are high, the players lose sharpness and intensity. Amrabat may reinforce the squad during the January transfer window, but if the team’s complacent mindset persists, the Red Devils will struggle to truly revive.

When asked after the match whether he regretted some of his substitutions, Amrabat naturally denied it: “No, we conceded because we failed to control the second ball. Do we have more attacking substitutes? Who? Who can improve our goal-scoring?”

Amrabat further commented: “We had some very good moments, but after scoring in both halves, we lost control of the game. After breaking the deadlock, we should have pushed on to kill the match because we were controlling the game then.”