Manchester United squandered a brilliant chance to secure a Champions League place for next season after dropping points in a 1-1 draw against West Ham in the Premier League on Wednesday at an empty Old Trafford Stadium.
The team led by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had fallen behind after Michail Antonio scored a penalty. But teenage sensation Mason Greenwood rescued the home team with a second-half tie.
United are a point ahead of Leicester heading into their final league game with the Foxes. With 63 points, United are third, ahead of fourth-place Chelsea, on goal difference.
Both Chelsea and United will require a point to qualify for Europe’s elite competition next season, while Leicester will need to win to avoid any permutation combinations.
United, meanwhile, can also compete if they win the Europa League in August.
For West Ham the result meant greater importance as a point at Old Trafford ensured they were mathematically certain of avoiding relegation.
After a fateful Sunday at Wembley against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final ended that 19-game unbeaten run, Solskjaer’s players seemed in a positive frame of mind to win again. They got off to an enterprising start, as West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was tested twice in the first four minutes.
Anthony Martial’s stinging shot from inside the penalty area forced an excellent save from Fabianski, who then dived to his right to avoid Greenwood’s effort.
De Gea, who had an unforgettable start in the FA Cup semi-final, remained a spectator for the first 40 minutes. But when he finally sprung into action, Antonio’s header wasn’t strong enough to threaten him.
But a careless attempt by Paul Pogba, which saw him take a Declan Rice free kick directly into his hand, resulted in a penalty for West Ham. Antonio successfully sent De Gea to the wrong side and the ball into the back of the net.
Greenwood brought parity to the games five minutes into the second half. In a brilliant display of his maturity, the 18-year-old exchanged passes with Anthony Martial before scoring a complete finish.
The rest of the game did not produce any progress.
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