A dramatic 1-1 draw between West Ham United and Manchester United at the London Stadium on February 10, 2026, unfolded as a tense, hard-fought Premier League encounter in Matchweek 26 saw United unbeaten run come to an end.
Kick-off took place in the evening under the lights, with West Ham sitting in the relegation zone and desperately needing points for survival under manager Nuno Espírito Santo, while Manchester United, in fourth place and chasing Champions League qualification, aimed to extend their strong form since Michael Carrick took over as interim head coach.
The first half remained goalless despite both sides showing intent. Manchester United dominated possession but struggled to break through West Ham’s disciplined, compact defensive setup, which featured a low block and aggressive pressing to limit space in dangerous areas.
United’s key attackers, including Bruno Fernandes pulling strings in midfield, found clear chances hard to come by against a resolute Hammers backline anchored by defenders like Aaron Wan-Bissaka facing his former club, Kalidou Koulibaly-style physicality from Konstantinos Mavropanos, and quick recoveries.
The breakthrough arrived early in the second half when West Ham struck in the 50th minute. Jarrod Bowen played a clever one-two before whipping a dangerous cross to the near post, where captain Tomáš Souček arrived with perfect timing to power a header past United goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The goal ignited the home crowd and gave the Hammers a precious lead, shifting momentum as they sat deeper to protect it.
Manchester United ramped up the pressure in response, with Carrick introducing substitutes to freshen the attack. Joshua Zirkzee came close with a header that went inches wide in stoppage time, and there were moments of frustration as United’s build-up play lacked its usual sharpness against the stubborn low block.
The game looked destined for a West Ham victory until the sixth minute of added time (90+6). A cross from the right by Bryan Mbeumo found space in the box, and substitute Benjamin Šeško produced an “unbelievable” moment of quality.
The Slovenian forward showed superb technique and composure, deftly flicking or volleying the ball with his right foot from the center of the area into the top corner past Mads Hermansen in goal—a world-class finish that left commentators and fans in disbelief.
It marked Šeško’s fifth goal in his last six appearances, underlining his growing importance as a clutch performer since joining United.
Carrick, speaking post-match, admitted the performance was below par and described the game as tough and expectedly difficult, but praised his team’s resilience and character in refusing to accept defeat.
He highlighted the positives in grinding out a point on the road against a motivated side fighting for survival, viewing it as part of building consistency rather than a setback. He singled out Šeško as “the man for the big moment,” lauding his composure and technique in such a high-pressure situation.
For West Ham, the late equalizer was heartbreaking, denying them a vital three points that could have lifted them level with teams like Nottingham Forest above the drop zone. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side had defended heroically and created the game’s defining moment through Souček, but once again, dropping points from a winning position proved costly in their relegation battle.
The result kept Manchester United’s unbeaten run under Carrick alive at five games, four prior wins followed by this draw, maintaining their fourth-place standing ahead of rivals like Chelsea (who also drew on the same night giving up 2-0 lead to Leeds United).