Last time Manchester United travelled to London, they suffered a damning defeat to Arsenal that killed their chances of securing Champions League football next season. Last time West Ham played at home, they beat the Gunners 2-1 in one of the shocks of the season. When the two met in the capital on Sunday, then, it felt like an upset could be on the cards and so it was, with the Hammers fighting back to secure a valuable point in a 1-1 draw that further dampened the Red Devils' spirits.
There were just four minutes on the clock when United took the lead at Victoria Road, with Katie Zelem pressing Katrina Gorry in midfield and picking her pocket before Rachel Williams broke the deadlock with a cool finish. A strong save from Earps a few minutes later, to deny Gorry, kept the visitors ahead and it was only because of Mackenzie Arnold's outstanding stop at the other end that Williams and United didn't have a second just before half time.
But it was West Ham who started the second half better and they got a deserved equaliser with five minutes remaining when Emma Snerle's perfect through ball found Viviane Asseyi, whose finish was something special. There was late drama when Williams blocked Arnold's goal-kick in the seventh minute of stoppage time and only had to put the ball into an empty net to give United victory, but she inexplicably missed the target as the Red Devils dropped points for the eighth time this season. With only seven wins on the board to counteract that, Marc Skinner's side now sit nine points off the European places with just seven games to go.
GOAL rates Man Utd's players from Victoria Road...