5 talking points as Man Utd humiliated by West Ham to pile pressure on Ten Hag
Manchester United were beaten 2-0 by West Ham in what was one of their most dismal displays of a disastrous season so far.
Erik ten Hag's side made the trip to east London knowing the Hammers would leapfrog them in the table with a win and that is exactly what happened, after a stellar second-half performance from David Moyes' men ensured all three points remained in the capital.
It was an entirely uneventful start to the clash, with neither side managing to create anything meaningful in the opening exchanges. The first chance came in the 34th minute, when Alejanadro Garnacho fired a tame effort at Alphonse Areola when played clean through on goal.
Jarrod Bowen tested Andre Onana early on in the second half with a bullet header, but the United number one was more than equal to the effort. Minutes later, the Hammers were in front and it was Bowen among the goals after a sensational Lucas Paquta pass.
Mohammed Kudus has been nothing short of a revelation since joining West Ham from Ajax and the Ghana ace netted the second to put the result beyond any doubt after Kobbie Mainoo was guilty of taking his eye of the ball in the build-up.
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Mirror Football has analysed five of the game's main talking points following another miserable afternoon for United.
Bowen strikes again
Jarrod Bowen scored West Ham's firstThough Bowen's goal was particularly fortunate in the way it found the back of the net, there was nothing lucky about the build-up, with Lucas Paqueta playing one of the passes of the season.
With his trademark Brazilian flair and effortless elegance, the midfielder chipped a deft through ball into Bowen's path. The England international saw Onana thwart his effort, but the save only bounced into the path of Bowen, who deflected it over the line.
The strike saw the 27-year-old's league tally rise to 11 for the season, levelling him up with Mohamed Salah and ensuring only Erling Haaland has scored more so far.
Hojlund struggles continue
Rasmus Hojlund failed to score once again for Man UtdRasmus Hojlund's wait for a Premier League goal continues as his 15th outing failed to bring a goal. Pressure is mounting on the £72million man to find the back of the net domestically, but rarely did he evn look like troubling the Hammers.
For an imposing figure, Hojlund often failed to get the better of Konstantinos Mavropanos and Kurt Zouma, though he was hardly inundated with service from wide-duo Antony and Garnacho.
Antony's inviting pass across the face of goal passed Hojlund by, in a passage of play that highlighted that perhaps his movement in and around the six-yard box is still in need of improvement. His afternoon came to a premature end when he was hauled off in place of Marcus Rashford just before the hour mark.
United's wider attacking woes
Alejandro Garnacho spurned Manchester United's best chanceOne of Ten Hag's biggest problems this term undeniably comes in the form of his side's attacking output. United have scored just 18 league goals this season, the joint-lowest of any side in the top 15 positions.
Chances were few and far between in this clash, but the few United did manage were often wasted. Garnacho was the guilty party in the first-half, when the Argentina international failed to finish despite having both time and space inside the West Ham penalty area.
The Red Devils dominated possession for much of the tie, but failed to turn that into a sustained period of attacking pressure. United were reduced to tame crosses and wayward long shots, such was their hosts defensive resolve.
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Ten Hag's side have now gone four games without a goal, something United haven't managed since 1992.
Willy Kambwala's debut
Willy Kambwala impressed on his Man Utd debut19-year-old centre-back Willy Kambwala was handed his Manchester United debut as a result of the club's seemingly never-ending injury crisis.
Ten Hag was dealt a late blow on the eve of the game when Raphael Varane was struck down with illness, while Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof remain sidelined with groin injuries, the latter of whom has been forced to undergo surgery.
Kambwala's first outing for the club came alongside Jonny Evans, who made his own United debut in 2008, when his partner today was just three years old. The pairing marked the 10th different central defensive partnership Ten Hag has tried so far this season.
The teenager barely put a foot wrong, but failed to last the full 90 having been withdrawn in place of Sergio Reguilon in the latter stages of the second half.
What this means for the table
Manchester United are now eighth in the Premier LeagueUnited have now lost more games than they have won across all competitions this season and following another defeat, the Red Devils drop to eighth in the league table.
Their loss is West Ham's gain, with the Hammers moving from ninth all the way up to sixth following the impressive win. Moyes' side are now just four points away from the Champions League places, though have played a game more than fourth-placed Manchester City.
In stark contrast, the landscape is looking increasingly bleak for United. Ten Hag's side are sixth points off of fourth and the prospect of Champions League football next term now feels more distant than ever.
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