A late effort from Soungoutou Magassa secured a draw for West Ham after the visitors capitalized on a corner in the closing stages. The match had been framed by Ruben Amorim’s admission that he had borrowed ideas from other managers to strengthen Manchester United’s attacking routines from dead-ball situations. His team had climbed alongside Arsenal for goals sourced from such moments, while no side had shipped more from them than West Ham.
The irony was unmistakable when a West Ham set piece created the breakthrough. Jarrod Bowen’s glancing touch was stopped on the line by Noussair Mazraoui, but the loose ball dropped kindly for Magassa, who powered in his first strike for the London club.
The equalizer did not lift the Hammers out of the bottom three, yet it stopped United from climbing to fifth place. Amorim’s men had appeared on track for that target after Diogo Dalot registered his first league goal in over two years, steering in a loose Casemiro attempt with a neat finish shortly before the hour.
Despite that, the hosts delivered a flat display, remain with only one win from their last five league fixtures, and received scattered boos when the match concluded.
Heaven struggles as senior players stand out
Amorim has been questioned for hesitating to rely on his young talents, and this match reinforced those concerns. Kobbie Mainoo and Shea Lacey stayed on the bench, while 19-year-old Ayden Heaven was handed a rare opportunity in the center of a back three.
Heaven endured a troubled start. Callum Wilson turned him early, though the veteran striker failed to take advantage, miscontrolling with clear space ahead. Moments later, Heaven clattered into Bowen and collected a booking within the opening minutes.
United took time to settle, and only late in the first half did they threaten. A clever Joshua Zirkzee attempt was hooked off the line by former United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and shortly afterwards Bruno Fernandes sent a shot brushing the outside of the upright.
Chances were scarce in general, and against a limited visiting side, Dalot’s rare home league goal—his fourth in 151 league appearances—seemed to be enough. But recent patterns resurfaced as United again failed to protect a narrow advantage. Amorim had admitted after the loss to 10-man Everton that the team were far from their required level, and this outing supported that claim.
Wan-Bissaka impresses against former club
Manchester United once assessed hundreds of right-backs before settling on Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £50m in 2019. Though he produced some solid spells across his 190 outings, he struggled to justify that fee and carried some of those inconsistencies into his time in London.
At West Ham he was shifted into a wing-back role under Graham Potter and later moved back into defense following Nuno Espírito Santo’s arrival. He enjoyed both clashes with his former side last season, when West Ham won on each occasion.
He stood out again here, notably when he denied Zirkzee a goal by clearing the forward’s improvised strike off the line—the closest United came before Dalot’s finish. His composed defensive work could become vital in West Ham’s bid to avoid the drop.
Magassa could also play an important part. The £17m summer signing from Monaco was making only his eighth appearance and his fourth start, but the conviction behind his equaliser—and the emotion in his celebration—hinted at a player intent on making an impact. That determination may prove essential as the season unfolds.
