Man Utd struggled to avoid defeat at West Brom.

It was only thanks to a goal from Daley Blind in the 87th minute that Man Utd managed to equalize 2-2 and earn a point in their late match of the eighth round of the Premier League yesterday, October 20th.

Man Utd's equalizer, making it 2-2, came from a beautiful piece of skill and showcased their unpredictable flair. With the ball about 23 meters from the West Brom goal, Blind quickly assessed the situation and executed a stunning, perfectly placed curling shot into the bottom corner, leaving goalkeeper Boas Myhill helpless.

The equalizer yesterday, which leveled the score at 2-2, was Blind's first goal for Manchester United. Photo: Reuters.

This moment of individual brilliance saved Man Utd from a seemingly inevitable defeat, where they were twice trailing in the eighth and 66th minutes. Fellaini scored the equalizer, also from a highly individual effort. The Belgian midfielder received a cross from the wing, took one touch, found his angle, and unleashed a powerful shot into the top near corner.

The result was a 2-2 draw atThe Hawthorns means Man Utd are still winless away from home in official matches under the Louis Van Gaal era, extending their Premier League winless streak since their April victory over Newcastle. They, despite extending their unbeaten run to three games, only earned one point and dropped out of the top four, one point behind Liverpool, who sit fourth with 13 points from eight rounds.

Because Falcao had just returned from South America and was still tired, manager Van Gaal decided to bench him and start Adnan Januzaj for the first time. In theory, Man Utd still played in a 4-3-1-2 formation with Januzaj alongside captain Van Persie up front. However, in reality, yesterday they tended to play a 4-1-4-1 with Januzaj and Di Maria on the flanks, Herrera and Mata in the center, and Daley Blind dropping back to act as a shield in front of the defense.

However, that formation proved ineffective against a very well-organized West Brom side, with Joleon Lescott leading the defense, neutralizing a somewhat isolated Van Persie at the helm for Man Utd, and very dangerous on the counter-attack thanks to the speed and clever movement of Berahino.Following a clever run by Berahino, West Brom opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Wisdom crossed the ball from the right wing into the center for Sessegnon to unleash a powerful shot, beating De Gea.

Man Utd reacted positively after conceding the goal, forcing the home defense, especially goalkeeper Myhill, to work hard in the following minutes. However, Di Maria twice and Van Persie once failed to beat the goalkeeper, who was making his first start since December last year. It wasn't until the start of the second half that the breakthrough Man Utd had been waiting for arrived, when substitute Fellaini shone with a neat finish to equalize 1-1.

But the hopes that Man Utd had just rekindled were once again dashed by West Brom. The Red Devils' defense seemed to forget about Berahino, allowing him to break free to receive a through ball from Chris Brunt, then comfortably take aim and curl the ball past De Gea in a one-on-one situation, restoring the home side's lead.

Trailing and with his players appearing to be struggling, Van Gaal was forced to make further adjustments in the second half, bringing on Falcao and then Young. The pressure created by Man Utd eventually paid off with Blind's equalizer in the 86th minute, making the final score 2-2. However, they also missed a golden opportunity 12 minutes earlier when Van Persie's shot from outside the penalty area was denied by the post.

Returning to Manchester after this draw, Man Utd will have six days to prepare for the crucial match against Chelsea in the ninth round, on Sunday, October 26th. Compared to Van Gaal's team, Chelsea are at a slight disadvantage as they have a Champions League match midweek - hosting Maribor in the third round of the group stage today.

The return of their best center-back, Phil Jones, has yet to help Man Utd improve their defensive capabilities. Photo: Reuters.

Starting lineup:

West Brom(4-2-3-1): Myhill - Wisdom, Dawson, Lescott, Pocognoli - Gardner, Morrison - Dorrans, Sessegnon, Brunt; Berahino.

Unused substitutes: Daniels, Blanco, McAuley, Mulumbu, Gamboa, Anichebe, Ideye.

Goals: Sessegnon 8, Berahino 66

Yellow card: Morrison

Man Utd(4-3-1-2): De Gea - Rafael, Jones, Rojo, Shaw - Herrera (Fellaini 46), Blind, Di Maria (Young 76)- Mata (Falcao 72) - Van Persie, Januzaj.

Unused substitutes: Lindegaard, Smalling, Fletcher, Carrick.

Goals: Fellaini 48, Blind 87

Yellow card: Blind

Referee: Mike Dean

According to VnExpress.net