In the eighteenth round of the Premier League, Manchester United faced West Ham as the away team. With key defenders Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, and Raphael Varane all out due to illness or ιnjury, coach Erik ten Hag had to rely on an unconventional center-back pairing. Nineteen-year-old Willy Kambwala and Jonny Evans, who was playing his first professional football match, formed the makeshift defense.

Despite the challenging circumstances, Willy Kambwala displayed composure and solidity in his Premier League debut. However, Manchester United’s аttаck encountered difficulties. The team heavily relied on pushing the ball to the left wing for Garnacho, but the player missed two clear-cut chances in the first half.

As the match progressed into the second half, Manchester United struggled to maintain control, providing West Ham with opportunities on the cоunterattack. In the 72nd minute, Lucas Paqueta’s lobbed pass allowed Bowen to break free down the right flank and face goalkeeper Onana.

Manchester United’s first goal came from a mistake by midfielder Scott McTominay, who failed to close down Paqueta in the middle, allowing the Brazilian to comfortably receive the ball and flick it for Bowen to enter the penalty area. Initially attempting to take on the goalkeeper, Bowen’s shot was saved by Onana but deflected off his foot and found the back of the net.

Seizing the momentum, West Ham capitalized on a defensive error by Kobbie Mainoo in the 78th minute. Paqueta quickly played the ball through for Kudus, who confidently finished past Onana, extending the lead to 2-0.

The home crowd erupted in celebration, filling the field with balloons, while Manchester United’s fans gradually left the stadium, despite the match still having more than 10 minutes remaining.

This defeat extended Manchester United’s winless streak to four matches and marked their eighth loss after 18 rounds. West Ham’s victory propelled them to 6th place in the Premier League with 30 points, pending Newcastle’s match against Luton. Meanwhile, Manchester United slipped to 8th place, potentially facing an 8-point gap between them and the top four after this round.