Manchester United fell to a 2-0 defeat to West Ham United in our penultimate home game of the season at Old Trafford.
Graham Potter's side took the three points to leapfrog the Reds into 15th place in the Premier League standings, with goals in either half, from Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen.
A familiar face on these parts for the previous five years, Aaron Wan-Bissaka played a part in both efforts for the visitors, on his first return to M16 since his departure last summer, and, although the Reds produced plenty of second-half opportunities in search of a way back into the contest, we could not summon enough of a response to take anything from the game.
Although the focus is very much on the Europa League final a week on Wednesday, this was a disappointing afternoon in the Manchester sunshine, compounded by Leny Yoro's withdrawal due to an apparent injury.
Following the Reds' Europa League semi-final success on Thursday, confirmed with an emphatic 4-1 second-leg win over Athletic Club at Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim opted to rotate his side somewhat for the visit of the Hammers.
It remained a strong line-up, however, with one of the heroes of midweek - double goalscorer Mason Mount - handed a first start in M16 since the boss's first home game in charge of the Reds, way back in November against Bodo/Glimt. There were plenty of other firsts - Amad hadn't started for the Reds since February's Emirates FA Cup tie against Leicester City, and in the case of Luke Shaw, this was his first inclusion in a line-up in any competition here, coincidentally, since West Ham's Premier League visit in February 2024.
The Reds donned a special-edition shirt for the occasion, with our front-of-shirt partner Snapdragon donating their logo space to the charitable organisation (RED), promoting the life-saving work of its Global Fund, which is focused on ending the world's deadliest pandemics.
FIRST HALF - REDS FALL BEHIND
United started brightly, keeping the visitors largely pushed back into their own half in the opening stages, as Bruno Fernandes twice shot over from the edge of the box inside the opening 10 minutes - one giving Alphonse Areola cause for concern early on, before a more wayward follow-up, after the West Ham keeper had saved well from Amad, cutting inside from the right. Max Kilman also glanced a header over from a James Ward-Prowse free-kick with the game under 10 minutes old.
Those early flashes of intensity were not sustained, though, as the visitors began to see more possession and, as a result, took a 26th-minute lead. United fans might have winced at the sight of former Red Wan-Bissaka combining down the left with Aaron Cresswell in the build-up to the opener, playing a reverse pass into Mohammed Kudus down the left side of the area, who fired across the face of goal for Soucek to bundle the ball home at the back post.
Fresh from providing the opening goal, a confident Kudus turned well in the United midfield to face goal, but drove his strike from distance just over the crossbar. United's attack was not quite firing at the other end, with a couple of encouraging moments involving Rasmus Hojlund the nearest we came to offering a reply, as he turned well from an Amad pass on the edge of the box but could not direct his shot on target, before trying a delicate first-time volley - latching on to a Fernandes ball over the top - which went wide without troubling Areola.
In 23-degrees heat at Old Trafford, a drink's break was required before the half-time interval, with the break a welcome opportunity for energy levels to be replenished further, after a frustrating opening 45 minutes saw Amorim's side head in a goal behind.
SECOND HALF - HAMMER BLOW
United came out early for the second half restart, but it was the visitors who showed the early promise, as we had Bayindir to thank that the deficit remained at one goal with the half only 30 seconds old. Kudus got to the left byline again and pulled it back for Ward-Prowse to swing a left-footed shot at goal, which was well stopped low down by the Reds' no.1
A concerning moment followed when Yoro went down with 50 minutes on the clock, the Frenchman having to be withdrawn as part of a double substitution, as Manuel Ugarte also made way, with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof were introduced. The only solace Reds could maybe take from that worrying incident was that Yoro could at least walk off the pitch.
United showed encouraging signs of seeking a response as Amad silkily glided into the box and, though his penalty appeals were denied as he went to ground, Mount took over and had his shot well saved by Areola from close range. Maguire also felt he might have had a penalty following a corner shortly after, following a Fernandes cross, but also had his protests dismissed.
Then came a second moment to rue for the Reds as West Ham doubled their lead on 58 minutes. Wan-Bissaka was involved again, dispossessing Ugarte inside our half and allowing Kudus to run at goal and into the area, where his shot was deflected, but only back into the path of our former defender, who picked out Bowen to apply a simple first-time finish past Bayindir from the back post.
Alejandro Garnacho and Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu were then ushered on for a final half hour that was mostly dominated by United - the former unfortunate not to find the net with one of his first touches, when he volleyed Amad's deep cross into the side-netting, with Hojlund glancing a Fernandes free-kick wide of the far post not long afterwards.
Amad engineered a fine break for the Reds when he won the ball back from deep and surged forward and fed Hojlund to his right, after an intelligent run from the Dane, with his side-foot effort kept out by Areola. A series of corners ensued, with Maguire heading wide from the one that immediately followed that stop, before drawing a save of his own from Areola, with a powerful nod goalwards minutes later.
Perhaps our best second-half opportunity then arrived - with Areola's most impressive save, to boot. Fernandes' left-flank free-kick was another set-piece won in the air by Maguire, this time heading into the path of Hojlund, whose seemingly goalbound effort from minimal distance was somehow kept out by Areola's sprawling dive. The Hammers then defended frantically to prevent Lindelof from finishing the follow-up, too.
A final opportunity of note, despite consistent pressure from the Reds throughout six added minutes, came shortly after Christian Eriksen was introduced in our final change of the day, in place of Amad. The ball fell invitingly for Amass to shoot from the edge of the box and a slight deflection briefly offered Mainoo an opening, as he poked a snapshot wide of the far post.
There was to be no reply from United despite the sustained pressure, with the Reds also grateful to Bayindir for producing a stoppage-time stop to keep out Ward-Prowse, in front of the delighted travelling Hammers faithful.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Bayindir; Mazraoui, Yoro (Maguire 52), Shaw (Lindelof 52); Amad (Eriksen 83), Ugarte (Dorgu 59), Mainoo, Amass; Mount (Garnacho 59), Fernandes (c); Hojlund.
Subs not used: Heaton, Fredricson, Casemiro, Obi.
West Ham: Areola; Todibo (Mavropanos 84), Kilman, Cresswell; Wan-Bissaka, Soucek, Rodriguez (Alvarez 64), Coufal (Emerson 84); Ward-Prowse, Bowen (c) (Fullkrug 73), Kudus (Soler 73).
Substitutes: Fabianski, Paqueta, Ferguson, Guilherme.
Goals: Soucek 26, Bowen 58.
Booked: Cresswell 61.