Man Utd wasted a golden opportunity to go fifth in the Premier League by conceding a late equaliser to West Ham at Old Trafford.
Manchester United players couldn't hide their frustration at failing to beat West Ham
View Image
If anything sums up Manchester United's inability to plot a smooth course under Ruben Amorim, it is the manner of the goal that denied them a crucial win against West Ham.
A day on from talking up their ability from set-pieces, United were undone by one. The equaliser from an 83rd-minute corner was a reminder that vulnerabilities remain and for all the improvement in the other box, they are still weak in their own. It was a painful blow for a side who looked on course to stick themselves into the Champions League conversation.
There was no anger at the final whistle this time, as there had been against Everton. Instead, it was a resigned silence. None of the players on the pitch slumped to their knees, but they put their hands on their hips and stared at the ground. This wasn't the performance of a team destined for the big time in Europe, but a win had them heading in that direction.
Now they will look on and curse another result that got away, another goal conceded from a corner and another second-half they have failed to win.
Christmas has been the most miserable time of the year for United in recent seasons. They had lost nine of their last 14 Premier League fixtures in December and it was this time a year ago that the wheels began to come off for Amorim.
This was the one-year anniversary of his first defeat as head coach and they have been regular occurrences since then, 22 all told, including penalty shoot-outs to Fulham and Grimsby.
That this didn't end in another defeat was little consolation for a crestfallen Amorim. There has been the whiff of progress recently, but this team's ability to shoot themselves in the foot - and just about every other part of the body - is crushingly frustrating. To sandwich a win at Crystal Palace with a dismal defeat to 10-man Everton and a draw with a dire West Ham, both at Old Trafford, only reinforces the sense that it is one step forward and one backwards.
The fixture list for this month should really have come gift-wrapped, but there will be no early festive cheer at Carrington this weekend. United could have gone fifth with a win, but instead find themselves eighth and in a congested middle in the Premier League table.
United were again slow to get going, showing a lack of intensity in the early stages that is baffling, given their reduced schedule this season. Once again, they allowed a team to get a foothold in a game at Old Trafford.
Ayden Heaven's early woes didn't help. The 19-year-old was starting his first Premier League game of the season and was in the middle of a back three, but his inexperience was preyed on by grizzled veteran Callum Wilson. It didn't take long for Wilson to realise he had the upper hand.
It was Bryan Mbeumo who began to rouse United into life. His short-corner routine with Bruno Fernandes led to a curling shot that forced Alphonse Areola into a fine save. Joshua Zirkzee bundled an effort goalwards that was cleared off the line and Fernandes volleyed a follow-up just off target.
Set-pieces have often been the route to goal this season, but with Matthijs de Ligt joining Harry Maguire and Benjamin Sesko on the sidelines, there was a lack of height against a team who had plenty of it.
That was putting the onus on United to find their ruthless streak as well as their creative streak. They had moments of the latter. Amad's quick feet created Zirkzee's first-half chance and he often looked the most likely to make something happen. Zirkzee's first-time pass into Mbeumo early in the second half deserved a finish.
Instead, Mbeumo was beaten to the ball by Freddie Potts and that seemed to sum up United in front of goal. Zirkzee's link-up play was good, Matheus Cunha was probing, Mbeumo was lively and Amad was direct, but none of them have the killer touch in front of goal.
So it was no surprise that the game was unlocked via a slice of good fortune. Casemiro's long-range shot wasn't going to trouble West Ham, but the deflection spun it into the path of Dalot, unmarked and 10 yards out. He had enough space to take a touch and fire a low finish into the Stretford End net.
United looked to hold what they have and Amorim's defensive subs reflected the nervousness, but having talked up their set-piece ability, they were undone by one instead. Amorim admitted that they still had work to do defensively and West Ham found it too easy to level. Jarrod Bowen's flick-on was brilliantly cleared by Noussair Mazraoui, but Soungoutou Magassa slammed in the rebound.
It was from two corners that Arsenal condemned Amorim to his first defeat a year ago. That another corner proved their Achilles heel against the Hammers summed up a team that just can't kick on.