West Ham 2-0 Manchester United: Bowen and Kudus on target as Hammers leapfrog visitors

The Hammers entered this match seeking a reaction after a disappointing 5-1 defeat to Liverpool in the League Cup earlier in the week. Meanwhile, the inclusion of 19-year-old Willy Kambwala for his senior debut was the main talking point surrounding a heavily criticized Manchester United side.

It is worth noting that Kambwala was only three years old when Jonny Evans, a fellow center-back, made his debut for the Red Devils, creating an intriguing defensive partnership.

West Ham had the first opportunity of the game when Emerson Palmieri was given the freedom to cut inside from the right and his left-footed strike was saved by Andre Onana.

Despite hopes of a strong attacking display from West Ham in the first half, their fans were left disappointed as Ten Hag's side posed very little threat in attack.

However, the game changed when Antony set up Alejandro Garnacho on the left-hand side, but his shot was comfortably saved by Areola.

As the first half drew to a close, Ten Hag's men gained control of the game, and Alphonse Areola almost made a mistake when he almost parried a weak shot from Kobbie Mainoo into his own net.

Bruno Fernandes, who had failed to score in his previous 10 matches against West Ham, came close to breaking that streak with a header that went over the bar from Luke Shaw's cross, following a well-executed move from the visitors.

In the second half, David Moyes would have been expecting more urgency from his team. They almost capitalized on James Ward-Prowse's exceptional set-piece ability when Jarrod Bowen met his corner with a powerful header, but Onana made a brilliant save to tip it over the bar.

On the defensive end, Kurt Zouma made a fantastic interception to clear Luke Shaw's cross and prevent a potential goal.

However, the atmosphere at the London Stadium suddenly came alive when Bowen scored a superb goal to give the Hammers the lead. He skillfully controlled Lucas Paqueta's lofted pass over the United defense and his deflected finish beat Onana at the near post.

Mohammed Kudus scored the second goal for West Ham, effectively ending the competition, with a precise finish after taking advantage of a rare mistake from Mainoo, following a clever one-two with Paqueta.

For the United fans who have endured a long wait for success, there was an early departure from the away end as they witnessed their team suffer their 20th defeat in all competitions in 2023, matching the record set back in 1989.

On the other hand, this victory propels West Ham into the top-six, at least temporarily, as they continue their unbeaten streak at the London Stadium to seven matches in all competitions.