Man United Fail to Close Out West Ham at Old Trafford, Amorim Criticises Defensive Lapses After Scoring Lead

Manchester United endured another frustrating night at Old Trafford as they were held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham United, a result which denied them a chance to move closer to the Premier League’s top five. Soungoutou Magassa’s late equaliser exposed familiar shortcomings and left manager Ruben Amorim visibly irritated.

Diogo Dalot opened the scoring in the 58th minute, seemingly putting United on course for an important victory. But instead of tightening their grip on the match, United switched off defensively and conceded from a corner after a flick-on from a long ball. Magassa reacted quickest inside the area to level the score in the 83rd minute.

In his post-match press conference, Amorim did not hide his frustration. “Frustrated, angry, that is it,” he said, criticising his team’s inability to control “second balls” after taking the lead. He noted that West Ham won multiple aerial duels and delivered the decisive cross, even though United appeared to have the game under control.

“The game was there to win,” Amorim added. “We should have closed the game with the ball … but we lost control in some minutes in the first half and second half, especially after the goal.”

The setback continues a worrying trend. United have now dropped points from winning positions several times, especially at Old Trafford against sides they were expected to overcome in their pursuit of the Premier League’s top-four race.

Amorim highlighted structural issues as well, saying the team failed to keep possession and defend more intelligently, particularly during set-piece situations. He expected greater composure given United’s physical advantage over West Ham.

Dalot echoed his manager’s disappointment, urging the team to stay calmer after scoring: “We cannot get as anxious as we got after the goal. We were more sloppy with possession.”

The result leaves Manchester United eighth in the Premier League standings, still several points adrift of the Champions League spots.

For Amorim, the conclusion was straightforward: this was a winnable match that slipped away due to a lack of control, discipline and mental sharpness. His reaction suggests he wants his players to rediscover their killer instinct in tight home fixtures.

United now turn their attention to a crucial away trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers, where they will aim to respond and halt the recent trend of dropping valuable points.