Manchester United squandered a brilliant chance to secure a Champions League berth for next season after losing points in 1-1 draw against West Ham in Premier League on Wednesday at the empty Old Trafford Stadium.
The Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led side had fallen behind after Michail Antonio scored a penalty. But teenage sensation Mason Greenwood came in rescue for the home team with a second-half equaliser.
United are one point ahead of Leicester going into their last leage game with the Foxes. With 63 points United are placed third, ahead of fourth-placed Chelsea on the basis of goal difference.
Both Chelsea and United will require a point to qualify for Europe’s elite competition next season, while Leicester will have to win to avoid any permutation combination.
United, meanwhile, can also competition if they win the Europa League in August.
For West Ham, the result meant greater significance as the one point at Old Trafford ensured that they were mathematically certain to avoid relegation.
After a fateful Sunday at Wembley against Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinal ended that 19-match unbeaten run, Solskjaer’s players looked to be on a positive mindset to get back to winning ways. They made enterprising start As West Ham keeper Lukasz Fabianski was tested twice inside the first four minutes.
Anthony Martial’s stinging strike from just inside the penalty area forced an excellent save from Fabianski, who then plunged to his right to keep out Greenwood’s effort.
De Gea, who had a forgetful outing in the FA Cup semifinal, remained a spectator for the first 40 minutes. But when he was finally called into action, Antonio’s header was not strong enough to threaten him.
But a sloppy effort from Paul Pogba, which saw him taking Declan Rice’s free-kick straight 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 into the contes within five minutes into the second half. In what was a brilliant display of his maturity, the 18-year-old exchanged passes with Anthony Martial before producing a complete finish.
The rest of the game did not produce any breakthrough.