Losing to West Ham, Man Utd lost the right to decide on top 4

Coach Van Gaal and his team will likely not be able to participate in the Champions League next season due to a 2-3 defeat against West Ham.

Winston Reid scored the winning goal for West Ham. Photo: Reuters.

West Ham opened the scoring in the 10th minute thanks to striker Sakho with a tricky shot from inside the box. Man Utd played deadlocked in the first half and had to wait until the beginning of the second half to equalize after Anthony Martial's close-range tap-in.

The French striker continued to bring hope to Man Utd when he scored a solo goal to make it 2-1. However, in just the last few minutes of the match, two headers from Antonio and Winston Reid snatched victory for West Ham, and also sealed the score 3-2.

The defeat to West Ham left Man Utd in fifth place with 63 points, two points behind Man City before the final round. The "Red Devils" have a completely inferior goal difference to their neighbors, 12 compared to 30, so their chance of entering the top four is to win against Bournemouth and hope Man City lose to Swansea this weekend.

Meanwhile, West Ham have returned to their familiar sixth place after losing to Southampton. The London club still maintains their hope of qualifying for next season's Europa League.

This was West Ham's last game at Upton Park after 112 years, so the team fought hard to show their appreciation for the stadium. Even West Ham fans contributed, from attacking the Man Utd team bus, causing a 45-minute delay, to holding the ball in the stands to waste time.

On the pitch, coach Slaven Bilic's players were on fire as they continuously pressed and prevented Man Utd from developing their game. The first half was completely dominated by the home team as they had 10 shots while Man Utd only had one inaccurate shot from Rooney.

In the most recent match at Upton Park, Man Utd made West Ham sad with a 2-1 victory in the FA Cup quarter-final replay. However, this time West Ham paid the debt, but it would hurt Man Utd even more if they could not get a ticket to the Champions League. Compared to the FA Cup, a ticket to the Champions League is much more valuable, affecting Man Utd's finances as well as transfer plans.

Martial's moment of genius could not save a dismal Man Utd team. Photo: Reuters.

Going into the match with great significance, it seemed that Man Utd players were not well prepared. They played sluggish and lifeless football in the first half, allowing West Ham to dominate and easily break down their attacks. The second half saw Man Utd have better possession of the ball but individual brilliance from Martial and Mata was not enough to save a weak defeat.

Man Utd's defense had a tough day against the muscular strength of West Ham. As coach Van Gaal feared when losing Fellaini, Man Utd did not have enough players to counter the home team's aerial attacks. In the back four, apart from Smalling, Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo and Valencia were no match for the tall players of West Ham.

Not only was the Man Utd defense poor in aerial combat, it was also clumsy in movement and marking. Blind was out of position in the first half, allowing Andy Carroll a one-on-one opportunity, but luckily De Gea saved the goal. Man Utd's flanks were constantly being cut down by Antonio and Cresswell, even though Mata and Martial dropped deep to support the full-backs.

Van Gaal's future was put on the table again after this match. Photo: Reuters.

Last week against Norwich, Man Utd put in a similar performance and needed individual brilliance from Rooney to win. This time they had Mata and Martial but they could no longer play the role of saviour. West Ham were the better side and deserved to win with dozens of chances in front of De Gea's goal.

A dramatic victory for West Ham to end 112 years of history at Upton Park. But for Man Utd, this match seemed to push them into a darker place after their glorious past.

According to VNE