Holding Liverpool to a draw at Anfield in the previous round, MU traveled to London with the determination to win 3 points in the hope of shortening the 6-point gap with the top 4. A defeat or a draw will prevent coach Erik Ten Hag's team from being able to appease the critics after being eliminated early in the Champions League.
MU (right) continues to slide with defeat at West Ham
The Red Devils have lost 12 of their last 25 games in all competitions, the same number of defeats in 62 games last season. Ten Hag's troubles are compounded by the Dutch coach's struggles with an unstable squad and injuries.
Top scorer Marcus Rashford continued to sit on the bench, while 19-year-old centre-back Willy Kambwala made his first-team debut in place of Raphael Varane, who was ruled out through illness. Ten Hag also brought on 18-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in the hope of refreshing the midfield.
Rashford's form has declined
Despite playing away, MU still created a good game for more than 1 hour of play. However, they could not take advantage of some dangerous situations to score. The wasted opportunities made MU pay the price with a goal in the 72nd minute.
Striker Jarrod Bowen continued to be the main man for West Ham this season, beating the offside trap to open the scoring for the home side. It was the England striker's 13th goal in 23 appearances in all competitions this season.
Jarrod Bowen (left) continues to shine
Conceding a goal, the visitors had no choice but to push up their formation to find an equalizer. However, a failed control of the ball by Kobbie Mainoo in the 78th minute extinguished MU's hopes of turning the game around. Mohammed Kudus took advantage of an error by the 18-year-old MU player to double the gap for West Ham.
The 0-2 defeat in London has left MU facing a crisis season, while the future of coach Ten Hag becomes more uncertain. The "Red Devils" are stuck in 8th place and will likely widen the gap with the top 4. Meanwhile, the home win helped coach David Moyes' West Ham jump to 6th place.
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