How much more embarrassing can this season get for Manchester United?
A team in the final of the Europa League – with an opportunity to represent their country in next season’s Champions League – continues to plumb new depths in the Premier League.
A 17th defeat of the season at the hands of West Ham is the most United have suffered since they were relegated in 1974. They cannot suffer the same fate this time around, but the biggest club in English football dropped to 16th place and can finish one place above the relegation zone after the Hammers moved above them with this well-earned victory – their first in the league in nine attempts.
Graham Potter’s side just seemed to want it more than United, not least Aaron Wan-Bissaka who clearly had a point to prove to his old club.
Only Tottenham’s defeat at home to Crystal Palace kept United out of 17th place. Who would ever have thought United and Spurs would meet in a European final sitting so embarrassingly low in the Premier League?
Ruben Amorim suffered an injury setback ahead of the final in Bilbao a week on Wednesday when Leny Yoro limped off early in the second half, and the Frenchman’s initial reaction suggested that he will struggle to be fit in time.
Jarrod Bowen scored the second of West Ham’s two goals to beat Man United at Old Trafford
Tomas Soucek had opened the scoring with less than half an hour on the clock for West Ham
Ruben Amorim’s side qualified for the Europa League final in midweek but were well off the pace on Sunday
West Ham were already a goal ahead by that stage after they led through Thomas Soucek’s goal, and Jarrod Bowen added another before the end.
United are now without a win in seven games, their worst such run since November 1992, and have lost nine league games at Old Trafford this season, something they have not done since 1963.
Amorim made six changes to the line-up that began Thursday’s semi-final against Athletic Bilbao. Mason Mount, who scored twice against the Basques, was rewarded with his first start since November and Amad Diallo was back in for the first time since suffering an ankle injury in early February after three appearances as a substitute.
Altay Bayindir, Harry Amass, Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo were the other changes, and it would be easy to say that it disrupted United were it not for the fact that they have routinely struggled in the Premier League after playing in Europe this season.
West Ham were quickly onto the front foot and threatened first in the eighth minute when James Ward-Prowse swung in a free kick from the left and Max Kilman guided a header over the bar.
Diallo responded moments later, skipping inside former United defender Wan-Bissaka onto his stronger left foot before testing Alphonse Areola with a shot straight at the Hammers keeper.
It was no surprise when the visitors drew first blood in the 26th minute. The move began with some excellent build-up play, Wan-Bissaka flicking the ball over the top for Aaron Creswell who returned it with a backheel.
Wan-Bissaka fed Guido Rodriguez who left Diallo on his backside and crossed to the far post where Soucek had got the wrong side of Amass to turn the ball over the line.
Soucek got the ball running for the visitors and from then on United had no response
Mason Mount came into the starting XI after his starring cameo in midweek but was unable to replicate his feats
The hosts struggled to compete against Graham Potter’s side, who leapfrog their beaten rivals
At that point United dropped to 17th in the Premier League table as the West Ham fans revelled in their misery. ‘How s*** must you be, we’re winning away,’ they sang in the sunshine.
United didn’t offer much in return before half-time. Rasmus Hojlund fired over from the edge of the box and then got on the end of Mount’s throughball as he burst between Kilman and Cresswell, but the connection on his volley was weak and it bobbled past the post.
There was an injury scare for United before the break when Hojlund went down clutching his left shoulder after tangling with Rodriguez at a throw-in. Amorim gnawed at his fingers as he watched a replay on the monitor but fortunately the Dane was able to carry on after treatment.
Areola invited trouble right at the end of the half by dithering on the ball too long and allowed Diallo to charge down his clearance, but Bruno Fernandes rather summed up United’s performance up to that point by heading the ball straight out of play as he tried to release the Ivorian on goal.
West Ham threatened again at the start of the second half when Mohammed Kudus turned Fernandes and fed Ward-Prowse who drilled a shot straight at Bayindir.
There was more trouble for United when Yoro went down and immediately looked in trouble. The young French defender appeared upset when he left the field after treatment with Harry Maguire replacing him and Victor Lindelof coming on for Luke Shaw.
But United went further behind in the 58th minute and again Wan-Bissaka was heavily involved. He won the ball off an unsuspecting Manuel Ugarte in midfield and Kudus broke forward.
He decided to go it alone rather than using options left and right, and his shot cannoned against Lindelof and lopped over Noussair Mazraoui’s head. It fell to Wan-Bissaka who had made the run forward, and he kept his cool to square a pass to the back post for Bowen to side-foot home.
Bowen made certain that all three points would be travelling back to east London on 57 minutes
Rasmus Hojlund went down clutching his left shoulder after tangling with Guido Rodriguez
Leny Yoro though was forced from the field in the second half in a big blow ahead of the Europa League final
Former Red Devils star Aaron Wan-Bissaka was heavily involved down the right at both ends of the field for the visitors
Amorim made six changes to the line-up that began Thursday’s semi-final against Athletic Club
Amorim immediately brought off Ugarte and Mount as he continued to try and balance managing game time and stemming the embarrassment unfolding in front of his eyes.
United could have reduced the deficit but once again Hojlund failed to apply the finishing touches. They broke over halfway in the 74th minute and Diallo fed the Dane who saw his shot blocked by Areola. Maguire powered a header wide from the corner and then guided another one straight at Areola from the next set-piece.
When Fernandes delivered again from a free kick, Maguire knocked the ball to the near post where Hojlund looked certain to score but Areola produced a sensational save to somehow keep out his half volley. It still needed Bayindir to save from Ward-Prowse with an outstretched leg in injury-time to stop West Ham scoring a third.
So the humiliation goes on. With their remaining two games against Chelsea and Aston Villa – two clubs still chasing Champions League football this season – and the distraction of the Europa League final, the prospect of United finishing fourth from bottom still looms large.
