Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag expressed his frustration after his team’s narrow 2-1 loss to West Ham, which he described as “unfair and unjust,” following a contentious late penalty decision.
United had created several scoring opportunities and dominated the first half but failed to capitalize, leaving them vulnerable to Jarrod Bowen’s penalty, which sealed their fourth Premier League loss of the season. The controversial penalty decision came after referee David Coote initially dismissed appeals for a foul. However, the video assistant referee (VAR) prompted Coote to review a challenge by Matthijs de Ligt on Danny Ings at the pitchside monitor. Following a prolonged stoppage, Coote awarded the penalty, despite protests from United players who argued that Ings had handled the ball. Bowen converted the spot-kick in the second minute of added time, securing the win for West Ham.
Ten Hag, speaking to BBC’s Match of the Day, expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision. “Before the season, the directive was that VAR should only intervene for clear and obvious errors,” he said. “This was not a clear and obvious error from the on-field referee.”
The result moved West Ham to 13th in the Premier League standings, placing them one spot above Manchester United, who have won only three of their opening nine matches. Ten Hag noted that he spoke to the officials post-match but acknowledged that the decision was final. “This is the third time I’ve felt an injustice this season. It’s had a significant impact on our points tally and our position in the table. It’s simply not right.”
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui refrained from commenting directly on the penalty decision, stating, “I didn’t see it. The players say it’s a penalty, and the referee agrees, so I trust their judgment.” Lopetegui instead emphasized his team’s resilience, adding, “After they scored, we kept our energy and positive momentum to win the match. That’s the energy I want to focus on.”
Missed chances create ‘a bad feeling’
Manchester United dominated possession and created numerous chances in the first half against West Ham, with Alejandro Garnacho hitting the crossbar and Diogo Dalot missing a clear opportunity in front of an open goal.
United continued to push forward, with Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford both testing Lukasz Fabianski, who successfully blocked their attempts, while Bruno Fernandes headed just over the bar. Despite these efforts, United’s struggles in front of goal remain evident. Only Crystal Palace and Southampton have scored fewer goals in the Premier League this season, with United netting just eight times. The club also holds the largest negative gap between expected goals (14.56) and actual goals scored (8), showing a differential of -6.56.
Reflecting on the missed opportunities, United manager Erik ten Hag urged the team to take accountability. “We need to look in the mirror; we didn’t score despite playing well,” he said. “We created loads of chances and didn’t concede, but losing like this is tough. We had six or seven 100 percent chances we should have converted. But when we don’t score, we need to remain composed. Overall, I don’t have too many criticisms for the team—just the finishing.”
Ten Hag avoided singling out Dalot for his miss, noting, “It’s unfair to single out one player. Garnacho missed twice, Hojlund once, Rashford, Bruno as well. There were plenty of missed chances.”
United’s current tally of 11 points is their second-lowest after nine games in Premier League history. Their Europa League campaign is also proving challenging, with just three points from the opening three matches.
Commenting on the growing pressure, former Manchester City player Michael Brown remarked on BBC Radio 5 Live, “What’s next for Erik ten Hag? The pressure keeps mounting, and things can’t go on like this. Football is so cruel—United were the better team by far in the first half and should have been comfortably ahead. They’ve had a tough bit of luck today.”
SOURCE: BBC
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