Manchester United were left ruing their luck after a controversial late penalty handed West Ham United a 2-1 victory at the London Stadium.
The incident occurred when Matthijs de Ligt was judged to have fouled Danny Ings in the box, leading to a contentious decision that left Erik ten Hag and his side fuming.
Referee David Coote was called to the VAR monitor to review the challenge, eventually awarding the spot-kick despite protests from United’s players.
While contact between De Ligt and Ings appeared minimal, the penalty was given even though there were suggestions of a potential handball by the West Ham striker.
Jarrod Bowen made no mistake from 12 yards, blasting past Andre Onana to seal all three points for the hosts.
Bowen had been instrumental throughout, exploiting space down the right wing and setting up the opening goal.
With 20 minutes remaining, the England winger delivered a low cross to Ings, whose mis-hit effort was bundled into the net by Crysencio Summerville.
United pushed hard for an equaliser and found it late through Casemiro. The Brazilian midfielder rose highest to head home inside the final 10 minutes, giving Ten Hag’s men hope of salvaging a point. But despite their efforts, they were undone by the controversial late penalty.
Lukasz Fabianski played a crucial role for the Hammers, making key saves to keep his side ahead throughout the contest. The veteran goalkeeper denied several United chances, ensuring his team stayed in the fight until the decisive moment.
The Premier League later issued a statement explaining the decision-making process behind the penalty.
It read: “The VAR deemed there was sufficient contact on Ings’ lower leg and recommended an on-field review. The referee overturned his original decision and awarded a penalty.”
United’s players were visibly frustrated as De Ligt protested his innocence to both the officials and his teammates long after the final whistle. The defeat leaves Ten Hag’s side in 14th place, adding further pressure to a difficult start to the season. Meanwhile, West Ham climbed above their opponents in the table, capitalising on United’s misfortune to secure a valuable win.