5th December 2025 Daniel Luker (@danielluker_)
By Conor Hogan
West Ham drew 1-1 with Manchester United at Old Trafford last night, securing a vital point in their relegation scrap.
After falling behind to Diogo Dalot’s 58th-minute strike, Man of the Match Soungoutou Magassa equalised for Nuno Espírito Santo’s side, opening his account for the Irons.
What was perhaps most impressive about the goal was its nature — a composed finish from a corner. With the exception of the win against Burnley, the Hammers haven’t looked a major threat from set pieces under the Portuguese boss.
And it looked like Thursday’s game was heading the same way, as corners from Jarrod Bowen and Freddie Potts failed to trouble Senne Lammens in the home side’s goal.
However, that changed in the 83rd minute. Substitute Andy Irving delivered an excellent corner, which was deftly met by Bowen. The skipper’s header was cleared off the line, but Magassa was alert to follow up the rebound.
The goal proved that, despite his current drought, Bowen remains the Irons’ most dangerous attacking outlet — his movement created the chance. While he is clearly effective taking set pieces, he is arguably even more valuable inside the box, trying to get on the end of them.
Considering his height, Bowen’s ability to win aerial duels against taller defenders is remarkable, and aside from Tomáš Souček, he is arguably West Ham’s biggest aerial threat.
It was also heartwarming to see the goal stem from an Andy Irving corner. The Scotsman has seemingly gone from cult hero to zero under Nuno, but last night was a reminder of what he can still bring to this Hammers side.
And finally, the finish from Magassa was superb — far more difficult than it looked. Catching the ball on the volley and steering it past Noussair Mazraoui on the line was the finish of a confident player. The 22-year-old should have plenty of that after an excellent display.
Magassa endured a rocky start to the season and hasn’t featured heavily, but he has improved with every appearance and now looks a real asset to the Irons.
Manchester United had scored the joint-most goals from set pieces in the league before last night. Considering how vulnerable West Ham were from corners earlier in the campaign, Nuno’s side can be proud of the progress they’ve made in this area of their game — and in most others.