Match Review: West Ham United 1-1 Manchester United

Šeško Rescues a Point as United’s Winning Run Comes to an End

There is a particular kind of frustration that comes with being the better team on paper, having the majority of the ball, and still needing a 96th-minute equaliser to salvage a draw. At the London Stadium on a drizzly Tuesday night, Manchester United experienced exactly that — and the ghost of familiar problems re-emerged just when it seemed Michael Carrick’s side had exorcised them for good.

Benjamin Šeško’s poached stoppage-time goal rescued a 1–1 draw against a West Ham side fighting for their Premier League survival, extending Carrick’s unbeaten record to five matches. But the four-game winning streak — built on the backs of impressive victories over Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham, and Tottenham — is over. And the manner of this performance will concern supporters more than the result.

This was a fixture with history, too. The last time United visited the London Stadium, it was Erik ten Hag’s final match in charge — a 2–1 defeat sealed by a soft injury-time penalty. The symmetry of another frustrating evening in east London was hard to ignore.

Tactical Setup

Carrick named an unchanged starting XI for the third consecutive match, a testament to the trust he has placed in this group. The familiar 4-2-3-1 shape — Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo in the double pivot, Bruno Fernandes as the creative fulcrum, Amad and Matheus Cunha providing width behind Bryan Mbeumo — has become the settled identity of this team.

West Ham, under Nuno Espírito Santo, set up in a disciplined 4-4-1-1 designed to frustrate. Mateus Fernandes sat behind Castellanos, with Bowen and Summerville providing width, and Souček and Potts anchoring the midfield. It was a shape built to absorb pressure and counter — and it worked.

First Half: Possession Without Penetration

The opening exchanges were scrappy and tentative, neither side willing to commit numbers forward. United tried to play out from the back against West Ham’s high press, but the hosts were aggressive in closing down passing lanes and forcing errors. In the 4th minute, Amad’s backpass to Lammens nearly invited trouble, with Castellanos hovering — an early sign of the nervous energy that would define the half.

United gradually asserted themselves on the ball, enjoying 62% of first-half possession, but the stats told a familiar, uncomfortable story. West Ham were compact and disciplined around the edge of their own penalty area, denying United the space to create meaningful chances. The most dangerous moment came in the 22nd minute when Luke Shaw’s shot from a corner was cleared off the line by former United player Aaron Wan-Bissaka — a moment that drew groans from the travelling faithful.

Shaw was United’s most productive attacking outlet in the half, working well with Cunha down the left and delivering a low cross in the 25th minute that no United player could reach. Amad worked an effort wide after combining with Shaw on the 40-minute mark. Bruno Fernandes looped an effort in from the left on 44 minutes, but Disasi deflected it harmlessly into Hermansen’s arms.

The xG at half-time told the story: 0.23 for United, a measly 0.05 for West Ham. Plenty of passing, precious little danger.

Second Half: Souček Strikes and United Chase

The second half began with a jolt. On 50 minutes, a long ball forward found Bowen on the right — the kind of direct approach West Ham had been using all evening. Bowen’s low cross skidded across the six-yard box and Souček, ghosting between Shaw and Martínez, poked home to make it 1–0. It was a goal that owed everything to West Ham’s simplicity and United’s momentary lapse in concentration at the back.

The London Stadium erupted. West Ham retreated even deeper into their defensive shell, content to protect their lead and spring forward on the counter. United pushed forward with increasing urgency but found themselves running into a wall of claret and blue.

In the 57th minute, Dalot fouled Summerville on the edge of United’s penalty area and picked up a yellow card, conceding a dangerous free kick that Bowen wasted. The frustration was building — in the stands, on the pitch, and on the touchline.

On 63 minutes, United thought they had their equaliser. Casemiro bundled the ball into the net from close range, but VAR intervened — the Brazilian was marginally offside. The away end’s celebrations were cut cruelly short.

The Cavalry Arrives

Sensing the game was slipping away, Carrick made his move on 68 minutes, withdrawing Maguire and Cunha for Leny Yoro and Benjamin Šeško. The changes signalled intent: more attacking thrust, more presence in the box.

United threw everything forward. Šeško tested Hermansen with a low drive from outside the area on 76 minutes. Shaw crossed from the left and Mbeumo headed just wide on 77. The attacking emphasis shifted to the left flank, where Shaw was finding space, though Wan-Bissaka’s excellent tackling repeatedly thwarted United at the crucial moment.

Dalot made way for Zirkzee on 82 minutes as Carrick went all-in. Casemiro worked his way into the box near the goal line but was dispossessed by a strong tackle. Mbeumo’s deflected shot earned a corner on 87. Amad tried an optimistic effort from distance on 88 that Hermansen gathered comfortably. Every attack felt desperate, every clearance felt final.

West Ham introduced fresh legs of their own — Traore and Walker-Peters for Bowen and Summerville on 89 minutes — and looked to see the game out on the counter. In stoppage time, Yoro was forced into two last-ditch interventions to deny West Ham breakaways, putting the ball behind for corners on both occasions.

The Moment

90+4: Bruno Fernandes crossed in from the right. Zirkzee rose and headed goalward. The ball drifted agonisingly wide of the far post. It looked like that would be the final chance.

90+6: Bryan Mbeumo crossed from the right. The ball found Šeško, who managed to poke the ball away with his first touch into the near post. 1–1.

The Slovenian striker — the same man whose last-gasp winner against Fulham had sent Old Trafford into raptures — did it again. A point had been saved.

There was still time for Amad to try to complete the comeback, squaring to Šeško in the box, but the pass was intercepted. The final whistle blew moments later.

Individual Performances

Benjamin Šeško continues to make an unanswerable case for more minutes. His stoppage-time equaliser was his third decisive late intervention in five matches under Carrick. The super-sub label is becoming his trademark — but the question of whether he should be starting rather than rescuing will grow louder.

Luke Shaw consistently found space down the left and delivering dangerous crosses. His link-up play with Cunha and later Šeško gave West Ham problems, even if the final product wasn’t always there.

Leny Yoro impressed after his 68th-minute introduction, making two crucial stoppage-time interventions to deny West Ham on the counter. His composure and reading of the game belied his age.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka produced a fine performance against his former club. His goal-line clearance in the first half and a string of excellent tackles down West Ham’s right side were instrumental in frustrating United’s attacks.

Jarrod Bowen was West Ham’s most dangerous player, providing the assist for Souček’s goal and being the focal point of their direct approach. His willingness to run at defenders and deliver from wide areas caused United problems throughout.

The Bigger Picture

This draw ends Carrick’s perfect winning record but extends his unbeaten run to five matches — still an impressive start. Yet the performance raised familiar concerns. United had 64.8% of the possession but managed an xG of just 0.63 to West Ham’s 1.03. The hosts, despite sitting in the relegation zone, created more dangerous chances and deserved their lead.

It is a pattern that plagued the Amorim era and one that was beginning to look like a thing of the past: United dominating the ball but struggling to break down deep-sitting opponents. Against Arsenal, Fulham, and Spurs, the opposition either came at United or were reduced in numbers, allowing Carrick’s side to exploit space on the counter and through set pieces. When West Ham sat deep and dared United to break them down, the attacking blueprint faltered.

The 13-day gap to the next match against Everton gives Carrick time to work on solutions — and to consider whether the starting lineup that has served him so well needs refreshing. Šeško’s continued impact from the bench raises obvious questions about Mbeumo’s role, and the lack of cutting edge from open play demands attention.

Verdict

A point rescued, but two dropped. United were never at their best in a match that underlined the gap between controlling possession and controlling a game. West Ham executed their plan to near-perfection, and without Šeško’s late intervention, this would have been a first defeat under Carrick.

The late equaliser maintains the unbeaten record and the sense of momentum, but this was a reality check. The wins over Arsenal and Spurs showed what this team can do against open, ambitious opponents. The challenge now is proving they can break down teams who come to frustrate — and that is the test that will define whether Carrick’s tenure becomes something truly transformative.

Five unbeaten. But the quest for five wins in a row continues.

Final Score: West Ham United 1–1 Manchester United Possession: 35.2% – 64.8% (West Ham – United) Shots on target: 3 – 3 xG: 1.03 – 0.63

Up next, United travel to Everton after a 13-day break — time for Carrick to reflect, recharge, and refine. The unbeaten run is intact. The winning habit needs rediscovering.