Manchester United lost in dramatic circumstances to West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday and are now in 14th place in the Premier League.

The pressure will be mounting on Erik ten Hag after another poor result following a series of missed chances – the worst of which was Diogo Dalot somehow firing the ball over the bar from eight yards out with the goal gaping.

Crysencio Summerville gave West Ham the lead with 25 minutes left before Casemiro equalized for the visitors in the 81st minute.

Then, in the 88th minute, Matthijs de Ligt brought down Danny Ings in the penalty area and after a lengthy VAR review, the home side were awarded a penalty. Jarrod Bowen converted the penalty to condemn United to their fourth defeat in their first nine league games.

Here, The athlete‘s Laurie Whitwell analyzes the game’s key talking points.

What does the defeat mean for Ten Hag?

Manchester United were much better than West Ham, but this result only increases the pressure on Erik ten Hag, even if it came with a major misfortune.

Ten Hag will rightly complain bitterly that West Ham were awarded the penalty that handed his side defeat, and his players also missed several chances that were enough to easily win the game.

Yet United are 14th in the Premier League and have scored just eight goals in nine games. This is clearly nowhere near good enough and gives the hierarchy at Old Trafford plenty to think about.

Ten Hag on the touchline at the London Stadium (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

The last time United scored fewer than nine goals after nine games in a league season was in 1973/74 (also eight). The club was relegated at the end of that season.

How on earth could Dalot miss this?

Even Diogo Dalot, one of the most positive and committed players in the Ten Hag squad, will certainly not want to look back on his goal attempt in the 32nd minute. It will go down in history as one of the mistakes of the season.

He had also done so many things right. Having moved there in Noussair Mazraoui’s absence for last week’s away game against Brentford, he returned to playing at right-back and his attacks forward through the middle were once again a deliberate strategy from Ten Hag.

Against Brentford that movement opened up a chance when Andre Onana played a straight pass over the top, and against West Ham it was the same when Dalot sensed a chance to get forward as the ball rolled to Bruno Fernandes in midfield.

Fernandes saw Dalot’s well-timed run and played an aerial pass for the first time. Lukasz Fabianski rushed to intercept the ball, but Dalot got the first goal and his ball around the West Ham goalkeeper set up what looked like a simple finish into an unguarded net.

Dalot gets the ball past Fabianski (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

The ball bounced and two West Ham defenders tried to recover, but Dalot rightly took his time. But as he put the finishing touches, he shot the ball wide of the goal.

Diogo Dalot signs up for failure of the season…#WHUMUN | #WHUFC | #MUFC pic.twitter.com/hd8HA9qblh

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) October 27, 2024

Dalot sank to his knees while Rasmus Hojlund looked horrified and Alejandro Garnacho pulled his shirt up to his chin in frustration. There was a stunned outcry at the London Stadium, but this subsided as West Ham fans began to rejoice at Dalot’s mistake.

A stunned Dalot after his miss (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

United continue to struggle in front of goal

Dalot’s chance was the biggest that failed for United at West Ham, but there were several other players who should have opened the scoring for Ten Hag’s team in the first half.

United went into the break with an expected goals value (xG) of 1.48, compared to West Ham’s 0.04, having had eight shots. Before the game they already had the largest gap between xG and goals scored in the top flight – and the difference has now only increased.

They also failed to score from four big chances, meaning they have missed a total of 22 this season. No side missed anything.

Garnacho had two very good chances in the first ten minutes. His first ball from a Fernandes corner, after Christian Eriksen picked up a loose West Ham pass following a United press, hit the crossbar. He missed the target completely on his second shot after being played through by Fernandes after a nice switch on the wing.

Hojlund was unable to capitalize on his chance in the penalty area when Garnacho’s low cross came his way. The opening came after more good teamwork and Hojlund deftly wriggled to shoot, but Fabianski blocked.

Shortly afterwards, Eriksen and Dalot passed the ball to Casemiro, who crossed the first cross to Fernandes, who was free eight meters in front of the goal. But he sent his header over the goal.

In the 20th minute, Marcus Rashford was close to goal but didn’t even get a chance to shoot as he couldn’t take the ball with him on his run.

After a miss by Dalot, United almost took the lead from set pieces. Edson Alvarez headed against his own crossbar from Eriksen’s corner, and just before half-time the Dane played another dangerous ball, this time from a free kick that Casemiro fired into the far corner.

First-team coach Darren Fletcher, who is watching the games from the stands along with the analysts, went into the dressing room and raised his arms in celebration, but Fabianski held out a glove for a super save.

Hojlund scored another good stop from Fabianski in the second half, but it took until the 81st minute, after West Ham had taken the lead, for United to finally score through Casemiro’s header.

VAR drama in added time

The award of a penalty against West Ham that decided this game infuriated United. Michael Oliver intervened as VAR when De Ligt and Ings came together in the penalty area.

He assumed that contact between the lower legs was enough to trigger a foul. Referee David Coote ruled in real time that there was no infringement, but Oliver ordered him to go to the side screen and the referee inevitably pointed to the spot.

#WHUMUN – 87′ VAR OVERTURN

The referee did not award West Ham a penalty for a foul by de Ligt on Ings. The VAR concluded there was sufficient contact on Ings’ lower leg and recommended an on-site review. The referee reversed his original decision and awarded a penalty.

— Premier League Match Center (@PLMatchCentre) October 27, 2024

In the stands, Fletcher was furious: “One week it’s a high hurdle, next week it’s not, damn joke.”

His sentiments were echoed by Ten Hag and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who appealed in vain to fourth official Thomas Bramall. De Ligt and his teammates also pointed out that the ball had hit Ings’ hand as a replay was shown on the big screens at the London Stadium.

Nevertheless, the decision stood and Bowen swept the ball past Onana to condemn Ten Hag and his team to a devastating defeat.

Ten Hag protests as late penalty is awarded (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)

What did Erik ten Hag say?

We will let you know after he speaks at the post-match press conference.

What’s next for Manchester United?

Wednesday, October 30th: Leicester City (H), Carabao Cup Round of 16, 7:45pm UK, 3:45pm ET

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(Top photo: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images))