West Ham United vs Sheffield United. Premier League.
London StadiumAttendance59,878.
Report and highlights as Robert Snodgrass' opener is cancelled out by Lys Mousset's strike
Saturday 26 October 2019 18:15, UK
Sheffield United remain unbeaten away from home in the Premier League after Lys Mousset struck again in a 1-1 draw with West Ham.
In the first league meeting between the teams since the third-party ownership saga involving Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano in the season when Sheffield United were relegated 13 years ago, Robert Snodgrass gave West Ham the lead just before the break (44).
However, the Blades looked sharp in the final third and were good value for Mousset's equaliser (69) as he came off the bench to score his second goal in a week, after notching the winner against Arsenal on Monday.
West Ham are now four games without a win since beating Manchester United, while the Blades are unbeaten on the road in their last 14 league games - a run stretching back to January.
With the rain hammering down in east London, both teams took time to adapt to the conditions with the first shot of any note coming from Felipe Anderson on 27 minutes, but his 30-yard effort curled a few yards over the top.
The visitors dealt with West Ham's unimaginative approach play and grew into the game before the break. David McGoldrick was denied from six yards out by goalkeeper Roberto after a clever Jack O'Connell knockdown from a corner.
Set-pieces continued to cause the Hammers problems but McGoldrick again was wasteful when heading straight at Roberto from a tight angle before Callum Robinson almost headed into an empty net, but got his timing wrong.
The hosts looked on the ropes and the crowd were beginning to get restless but Snodgrass changed the atmosphere by opening the scoring on the stroke of half-time. For the first time in the half, the Blades looked unorganised at the heart of their defence and Andriy Yarmolenko punished them with a clever ball through for Snodgrass who slid home past Dean Henderson.
The introduction of Billy Sharp opened the game up after the break with Anderson forcing a brave block from Henderson before United went up the other end and George Baldock fired wide from a tight angle.
Blades boss Chris Wilder was urging his team forward from his technical area as West Ham looked vulnerable through the heart of their defence. He sent Mousset on with 62 minutes played and the striker showed his prowess in front of goal seven minutes later to draw his team level.
Enda Stevens' pass dropped to Mousset on the turn and at a difficult angle down the left of the box, but he managed to reverse a clever finish into the bottom corner via the skiddy London Stadium turf.
The equaliser sparked West Ham into life and they finished the game in the ascendancy, but Aaron Cresswell was denied by Henderson and Yarmolenko skidded an effort inches wide in injury-time.
On just his second Premier League start since April, the 32-year-old Scottish midfielder brought bags of endeavour and energy to a West Ham team full of classy technicians that did not bring much quality to the table.
Snodgrass grabbed his opportunity with both hands, notching the opening goal with a tidy finish and providing the visitors with a constant problem thanks to his clever movement. He also sent in 17 crosses during the match but found the Blades' backline in determined mood.
West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini said: "It was a similar game to the one we lost against Crystal Palace. We had options to win the game but those options you must score.
"I think that we played a good game. We play from the beginning, we create crosses, corners.
"In the first half we score one goal and in the second half we have at least three or four key options to decide the game. I repeat that I think it's not easy to create chances against Sheffield United but we did it today."
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder said: "In the first half we were second to every ball. But our start to the second
half was great, we dictated the game knowing we had to take a few more risks which we did.
"They had chances on the counter-attack and their manager will be disappointed not to put us to bed, but it was a deserved result."
West Ham are back at the London Stadium next Saturday when they welcome Newcastle, while the Blades take on Burnley at Bramall Lane.
