West Ham scored after 72 minutes of dreary play when Lucas Paqueta put the ball into Jarrod Bowen’s path and the Hammers’ top scorer this season blasted past Andre Onana.
Mohammed Kudus, who has scored in each of West Ham’s previous three home games, capitalised on Kobbie Mainoo’s defensive blunder to drill into the bottom corner and extend the home side’s lead.
Manchester United have won just one of their last five Premier League games, and Erik ten Hag’s team has lost more games than they have won this season in all competitions.
As a consequence, West Ham move up to sixth place in the rankings, while United slip to eighth.
On Boxing Day, Manchester United will face surprise championship contenders Aston Villa, while West Ham will travel to Arsenal on Thursday, December 28.
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West Ham United find a way to win
West Ham are used to seeing their opponents dominate possession; in the last two months, they have beaten Arsenal and Tottenham with less than 30% possession.
However, in a flat game of mediocre quality on both sides, David Moyes’ side failed to be effective on the counter in the first half.
As West Ham battled to establish their rhythm, Bowen’s stunning header from a corner forced Onana to tip over the bar.
However, after Paqueta’s magnificent pass set up Bowen, West Ham upped the tempo, and the loudness in the stadium increased as well.