Manchester United vs. West Brom: Score, Grades and Reaction from Premier League

West Bromwich Albion recorded a shock 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in Week 35 of the Premier League season, throwing yet another wrinkle in the race for the Champions League tickets.

United dominated possession from start to finish but fell victim to a deflected free kick early in the second half. Robin van Persie had a golden opportunity to salvage a point but saw his penalty stopped by Boaz Myhill.

Manchester United were by far the livelier team in the first half but failed to translate their dominance into goals. As shared by the club's Twitter feed, their advantage in possession at half-time was enormous:

The Old Trafford crowd rose to their feet after five minutes to applaud in memory of the death of Rebecca Ferdinand, wife of former United defender Rio Ferdinand, per the club:

It was a beautiful gesture, one even fans from other clubs could appreciate, including Get West London's Dan Levene:

Ashley Young was the driving force behind United's attack, once again showing the incredible progression he has made under Louis van Gaal. Once regarded as a transfer flop, the winger has transformed into a quality attacker who should have a spot in the team heading into next season.

The England international should have opened the score after 15 minutes, but he somehow managed to push his shot wide, pouncing on a rebound after Van Persie's volley went straight into the ground.

Four minutes later, the Dutch international missed a huge chance at the far post after some great work from Young. Van Persie's deviation of the ball missed the post by inches but really shouldn't have.

Despite the miss, the Dutchman made a strong impression on Manchester Evening News' James Robson:

West Brom managed one or two half chances during the first half but little more. The visitors primarily played in their own half and chased the ball up and down the pitch, but to their credit, their defence held.

Marouane Fellaini started pushing further up the pitch and contributing more inside the box, and the final chance of the first half fell to the hosts. Antonio Valencia nearly picked out a team-mate inside the box, but Myhill did well to punch the sharp cross away in time.

At half-time, the Independent's Liam was anything but impressed with the Red Devils:

"

Quite an abysmal half from United, need to bring Di María on and get those 3 points. Don't make it any more half for yourselves.

— Liam (@OffsideLiam) May 2, 2015"

Sam Tighe of Bleacher Report noted United weren't the first team to struggle with West Brom's defence:

United pushed forward in search of a goal early in the second half, with Fellaini now playing as a deep striker. Van Persie nearly broke the deadlock just minutes in, but his effort struck the side netting.

The pressure continued to increase, and the hosts should have had a penalty after 60 minutes. Craig Gardner made clear contact with Fellaini, but the vision of the official was blocked, and he decided not to blow the whistle. 

Manchester Evening News' Rob Dawson noticed Van Gaal was going with a very unorthodox formation:

The visitors shocked Old Trafford after 63 minutes, with Chris Brunt's free-kick taking an awkward deflection in the wall that surprised David De Gea.

Van Gaal reacted by bringing on Angel Di Maria in favour of Daley Blind, making the formation even more unbalanced. Robson wondered whether the Dutchman's new system was already compromised:

The official gave United a lifeline with 20 minutes left on the clock, as Saido Berahino was punished for handling the ball inside the box. Van Persie stepped up to pull his team level, but Myhill guessed correctly and parried the striker's effort.

Arsenal fan and TV personality Piers Morgan couldn't help himself:

The penalty miss only gave more energy to West Brom's squad, while United kept throwing the ball into the box. With 10 minutes left on the clock and participation in the Champions League potentially on the line for the Mancunians, Old Trafford was a nervous mess.

Van Gaal played his final card, taking off Paddy McNair for Radamel Falcao and pushing four players inside the box at all times. Of course, West Brom did the same, per Bleacher Report UK:

Di Maria had one last chance at salvaging a point, but Myhill reacted well to stop his driving effort that seemed destined for the back of the net.

United have now lost two consecutive matches at the worst possible time, with the race for a top-four finish nearing its conclusion. Liverpool sit just four points back after their last-minute win over Queens Park Rangers, and with three matches left on the schedule, anything is possible.

West Brom have all but secured their spot in next year's Premier League, as they sit nine points above Sunderland with just three matchdays left to play.

Relevant Post-Match Grades

Jon Super/Associated Press

Ashley Young: B

Lively and constantly around the ball in the first half, Young was the driving force behind United's attacking movements. He failed to capitalise on his great night with a goal or assist, but he's hardly to blame for the club's struggles.

Boaz Myhill: A

Myhill looked a little shaky but redeemed himself in a big way with a number of key stops, including a Van Persie penalty. West Brom now look likely to avoid the drop this year, and the emergence of Myhill is a big reason why.

Wayne Rooney: C

One player who was surprisingly invisible on the pitch was Rooney, whose situation obviously wasn't helped by Van Gaal's odd decision to move him back into midfield in the second half. Still, as one of the most prolific strikers in the club's history, you'd expect more from the England international.

Post-Match Reaction

Van Gaal clearly on edge during his post-match interview with Sky Sports, not hiding how he felt about West Brom's tactics, via Robson:

The Dutchman looked calmer when he sat down for his press conference, but still couldn't find any explanation for his team's inability to turn chances into goals:

Scoring remains the club's biggest issue, per Van Gaal:

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