London, Oct 27 : A controversial late penalty held Manchester United to a 2-1 defeat against West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday.

Jarrod Bowen converted from 12 yards in stoppage time, after David Coote adjudged Matthis de Ligt to have fouled Danny Ings in the box, following an extended VAR consultation.

The Reds had only just equalised with Casemiro nodding home from close range in response to Crysencio Summerville's 74th-minute opener.

The story remained the same for the Red Devils as their missed chances in the first half came to haunt them in the end. After Garnacho's missed attempt, Bruno Fernandes delivered lobbed pass to Diogo Dalot and the Portuguese had the goalkeeper beaten but ended up blasting his shot over an empty goal in what should have been an easy finish.

The first half remained goalless and it was Summerville who opened the scoring after a miss hit by Danny Ings fell to the substitute who was making a run towards the back post and found the back of the net.

With a quarter of an hour play left, Zirkzee nodded Dalot's flick on to the forehead of Casemiro, who equalised with his first goal of the campaign.

But the Hammers retook the lead, after referee David Coote gave a controversial penalty against Manchester United on De Ligt's challenge on Ings which was converted by West Ham skipper Jarrod Bowen to seal the 2-1 victory

"It was so difficult to see. Before the season there was the instruction about VAR only interfering in clear and obvious mistakes. That is definitely not a clear and obvious mistake from the on field referee.

"More frustrations but I can do nothing with that. They don't collect points and that's what we have to do. We have to look in the mirror, we don't score in a good game from our side. Create loads of chances and concede none but when you lose in this way it's a bad feeling," said Erik Ten Hag in the post game interview.

/IANS