Europa League finalists Manchester United’s embarrassing Premier League campaign continued as fellow strugglers West Ham celebrated a first top-flight win at Old Trafford since 2007.
Ruben Amorim’s side came into Sunday’s game buoyed by securing their place in the make-or-break Bilbao showpiece against Tottenham with Thursday’s 4-1 victory against Athletic Bilbao, completing an impressive 7-1 semi-final triumph.
But United have failed to carry their European form onto the domestic front, with their worst-ever Premier League season continuing as Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen sealed West Ham a memorable 2-0 victory on the road.
The East Londoners ended an eight-game winless run by securing their first league victory at Old Trafford since Carlos Tevez struck 18 years ago.
The result in 2007 represented a blip for that season’s champions, whereas this was United’s 17th league loss and ninth at home, of a historically bad campaign for a side that have now gone seven top-flight matches with a win.
Graham Potter’s Hammers usurped the Red Devils with the win, leaving Amorim’s men a lowly 16th with two Premier League games to go either side of the Europa League final against 17th-placed Tottenham.
Silverware and Champions League qualification await the victor in Bilbao, where defender Leny Yoro’s availability appears in doubt after limping off early in the second half.
That injury underlined why Amorim made six changes on Sunday, when United wore special shirts featuring the logo of charitable organisation (RED) to help raise funds and awareness for the global fight against health injustice.
Amad Diallo was among those brought in and began his first start in three months well, cutting back for Bruno Fernandes to strike over before making room to sting the palms of Alphonse Areola.
At the other end, Maximilian Kilman headed over a James Ward-Prowse free-kick won by former United full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who played an important role as the Hammers opened the scoring in the 26th minute.
The defender smartly drew out Noussair Mazraoui and played in Mohammed Kudus, with Soucek getting in front of teenager Harry Amass to direct home his driven cross.
Potter look to particularly enjoy an opener that Kudus attempted to add to when flashing over from distance but play soon slowed in the heat as Rasmus Hojlund failed with a couple of half chances.
Ward-Prowse struck at Altay Bayindir at the start of second half that was only three minutes old when Yoro went down requiring treatment.
The centre-back limped off and straight down the tunnel with what appeared to be a foot injury. Harry Maguire replaced him, and the setback also saw Amorim introduce Victor Lindelof in place of Luke Shaw.
United claimed for a couple of penalties before West Ham began testing the hosts’ reshuffled backline, with Bayindir clawing away a Bowen cross-shot before the skipper extended their lead in the 57th minute.
Manuel Ugarte all too easily went down under pressure from Wan-Bissaka, who received the ball after Kudus had burst forward and coolly cutback for captain Bowen to slot home.
West Ham chants filled the air as Ugarte and Mason Mount were replaced by Patrick Dorgu and Alejandro Garnacho, with the latter hitting the side netting soon after his introduction.
Hojlund glanced a header across face of goal and saw an effort saved by Areola, with Maguire trying to level from a pair of corners.
West Ham’s goalkeeper brilliantly denied Hojlund as the clock wound down on another disappointing day for the Red Devils, who were spared further embarrassment as Bayindir saved Ward-Prowse’s stoppage-time attempt.
PA
