Sesko strikes at death to rescue draw for Man. United

Manchester United needed a moment of late brilliance from Benjamin Šeško to salvage a 1–1 draw against West Ham United in a tense English Premier League clash on Tuesday night.

Deep into stoppage time at the London Stadium, with defeat looming, Šeško struck decisively in the 96th minute, firing a first-time effort from the edge of the box into the top corner to stun the home crowd and rescue a point for United.

West Ham had looked on course for a valuable home victory after taking the lead early in the second half.

In the 50th minute, Tomáš Souček reacted quickest inside the area to convert a low finish following a perfectly weighted through ball from Jarrod Bowen, punishing a momentary lapse in United’s defence.

The goal energised the hosts, who grew in confidence and threatened to extend their advantage.

Bowen continued to cause problems with his movement and passing, while substitute Callum Wilson tested United’s back line late on, only to be caught offside as West Ham pushed for a second.

United, meanwhile, dominated possession for long spells but struggled for cutting edge. Bruno Fernandes pulled the strings in midfield and came close with a lofted delivery that nearly found Joshua Zirkzee, while Bryan Mbeumo saw a powerful effort blocked as the pressure mounted.

There was controversy midway through the second half when United briefly thought they had equalised through Casemiro, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside after a VAR review, leaving the visitors frustrated.

With seven minutes of added time signalled, United threw bodies forward in a desperate search for an equaliser. That gamble paid off when the ball broke kindly on the edge of the area, allowing Šeško to strike without hesitation, his precise finish leaving West Ham goalkeeper Mads Hermansen with no chance.

The late goal denied West Ham what would have been a morale-boosting win and underlined United’s refusal to be beaten, even on a night when they were second best for long periods.