LONDON — Manchester United’s scoring woes continued in a 2-0 loss at West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday, with Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus netting second-half goals.
United has now failed to score in its last four games in all competitions — that hasn’t happened since 1992 — and in five of its last six matches. Rasmus Hojlund, the club’s $82 million offseason signing, was hauled off in the 57th minute as his Premier League drought extended to 14 games.
What United would give to have a player in the scoring form of Bowen, who exchanged passes with Lucas Paqueta and bundled in a finish — at the second attempt — past goalkeeper Andre Onana to give West Ham the lead in the 72nd minute with his 11th goal in the league this season.
Kudus then pounced on a mistake by Kobbie Mainoo before being played through by Paqueta to drive home the second goal in the 78th. It was the Ghana international’s fourth goal in as many games.
The late goals spoiled a composed debut for United by 19-year-old defender Willy Kambwala, who was brought in to fix a center-back crisis and did little wrong alongside Jonny Evans — a player 16 years older.
It’s the issues at the other end of the field that are likely to be really worrying United manager Erik ten Hag after the team’s 13th defeat in 26 games in all competitions this season.
With the win, West Ham moved ahead of United, which will be in eighth place for Christmas.
Tottenham 2, Everton 1
In London, Tottenham ended Everton’s four-match winning run in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory thanks to goals in the first 18 minutes by Richarlison and Son Heung-min.
Richarlison, again playing in a central-striker role, swept home a first-time shot from Brennan Johnson’s right-wing cross to give Spurs the lead in the ninth minute at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Son then scored his 11th goal of the campaign by converting into the bottom corner after Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford parried out Johnson’s shot into the middle of the area.
The win lifted Tottenham into fourth place above Manchester City, which was inactive in this round because of its involvement in the Club World Cup.
Everton hadn’t conceded a single goal in its recent winning streak that came in the wake of the club being handed a 10-point sanction for financial mismanagement.
The visitors claimed a consolation in the 82nd minute through substitute Andre Gomes, who earlier thought he had set up England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin for a goal — only for it to be disallowed for a foul by the Portuguese on Emerson Royal in the buildup.
Everton substitute Arnaut Danjuma hit the crossbar in the sixth and final minute of stoppage time, having wasted two other chances as Sean Dyche’s team finished strongly.
The gap from Everton to the relegation zone was cut to four points after a win for third-to-last Luton over Newcastle on Saturday.
Bournemouth 3, Nottingham Forest 2
In Nottingham, Dominic Solanke grabbed a hat trick for Bournemouth to win at Forest 3-2 and ruin Nuno Espirito Santo’s first game in charge at the City Ground.
Forest looked like overcoming the controversial first-half red card to Willy Boly to earn a worthy point after Chris Wood headed them level in the 74th minute.
But Solanke, who scored twice in seven minutes to overturn Anthony Elanga’s opener for Forest, broke their hearts when he headed home in the fifth minute of time added on.
Forest will have grave complaints about the 23rd-minute dismissal of Boly, who was sent off for two yellow cards. Referee Rob Jones showed the second despite the defender clearly winning the ball.
Nuno replaced the sacked Steve Cooper this week and will be enthused by what he saw from his side, but he has inherited a relegation battle and Forest could be in the bottom three if results do not go in their favour in the Boxing Day fixtures.
Life is much better for the Cherries, who won for the fifth time in six matches to climb into mid-table and Solanke took the matchball home for the first time in his career.
The match-defining moment came in the 23rd when Boly received a second yellow card for a challenge on Adam Smith, despite clearly winning the ball. VAR cannot check yellow card incidents so the Ivorian had no reprieve and had to walk.
After a scoreless first half, Wood dispossessed Alex Scott in a dangerous area and played in Elanga, who provided a sublime finish into the bottom corner.
But the joy was short-lived as the Cherries levelled four minutes later. Solanke sent a looping header from Marcos Senesi’s cross over Matt Turner. Solanke needed just another seven minutes to grab his second as he slid home a loose ball.
But Forest showed real character and Wood headed them level when his effort from Morgan Gibbs-White’s corner went in after taking a nick from Luis Sinisterra.
Bournemouth threatened a third goal when David Brooks hit the post, but Solanke claimed his hat trick and the three points when he headed home Smith’s cross at the death.
Burnley 2, Fulham 0
In London, Burnley scored long-range goals through Wilson Odobert and Sander Berge to beat Fulham 2-0 in the first English Premier League game to be handled by a female referee.
Rebecca Welch was the match official for the game at Craven Cottage in a landmark moment for the competition, and she made her first big intervention when brandishing a yellow card to Calvin Bassey late in the first half after the defender struck Josh Brownhill with his hand.
Burnley, which earned its third win, took the lead in the 47th minute after neat build-up play saw the ball arrive at the feet of Odobert. He took a touch and curled a shot into the top right corner of the net.
Berge made it 2-0 after 66 minutes when he retrieved the ball on the halfway line and drove to the edge of Fulham’s box where he rifled his strike past Bernd Leno.
Next-to-last Burnley stayed in the relegation zone but moved to within three points of safety.
It was mid-table Fulham’s second straight league loss, with those defeats coming either side of a quarterfinal win over Everton in the English League Cup.