LONDON (AP) — For Diogo Dalot, it was harder to miss.
The Manchester United right back summed up his team's scoring woes this season by spurning the easiest of chances in the Premier League game against West Ham on Sunday after being presented with an open goal.
The Portugal international was played through on goal by Bruno Fernandes and lifted the ball beyond onrushing goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianksi to find himself in front of an empty net.
Dalot settled himself before somehow sidefooting a bouncing ball over the bar for what will go down as one of the misses of the season so far. He fell to the ground and put his arms over his head.
It kept the score at 0-0 at the time, and United went on to lose 2-1.
United started the game having scored seven goals in its first eight matches. Only two teams have fewer in the 20-team league.
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Manchester United's Diogo Dalot, left, misses an opportunity on goal during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Manchester United at the London Stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Manchester United missed an open goal and conceded in stoppage time to lose 2-1 at West Ham in the Premier League, piling more pressure on manager Erik ten Hag on Sunday.
A fourth defeat in nine league games left United languishing in 14th place in the 20-team standings.
Jarrod Bowen converted a highly disputed penalty in the second minute of added-on time after a foul by Matthijs de Ligt as United counted the cost of a string of wasted chances, notably when Diogo Dalot sidefooted over when faced with an empty net in the first half.
If that was surely the miss of the season so far, Cole Palmer might have delivered the pass of the season in Chelsea's 2-1 win over Newcastle.
Palmer provided more glimpses of his outrageous talent by scoring the winner after helping to set up the opener, by Nicolas Jackson, with a stunning through ball.
Facing his goal inside his own half, the 22-year-old England playmaker span round and curled a 50-meter pass behind Newcastle's defense toward Pedro Neto, who set up Jackson in the 18th minute.
Alexander Isak equalized but Palmer drove home his seventh goal of the season in the 47th to secure the victory for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. With five assists, too, Palmer has a league-leading 12 goals involvements this campaign.
Crystal Palace finally claimed its first league win of the season by beating Tottenham 1-0 thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta's goal.
Arsenal hosts Liverpool in a late match between two title contenders.
Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
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Manchester United's Casemiro celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Manchester United at the London Stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park in London, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
Manchester United's Diogo Dalot, left, misses an opportunity on goal during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Manchester United at the London Stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Chelsea's Cole Palmer shoots to score his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Newcastle at Stamford Bridge in London, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)
Chelsea's Cole Palmer celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Newcastle at Stamford Bridge in London, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)
West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Manchester United at the London Stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Manchester United's Matthijs de Ligt (left) protests to referee David Coote after he awards a penalty to West Ham United during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Manchester United at the London Stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
