London (AFP)

Manchester United failed to beat West Ham (1-1), in a late match of the 37th day of the English Championship and will have to defend their third provisional qualifying place for the Champions League on Sunday in Leicester.

Without winning the last two matches of the season at Old Trafford against two bottom teams (Southampton, then West Ham on Wednesday), Manchester United could miss for the second consecutive season a qualification for the next Champions League.

His trip on Sunday to Leicester (5th with only one point behind) will be under very high pressure, with the absolute need to preserve the draw to keep his third place, also threatened by Chelsea, who moved to Liverpool on Wednesday night.

The state of form of the Red Devils can only fuel concern, while all the usual starters were lined up this time by Solksjaer, unlike the FA Cup semi-final lost 3-1 against Chelsea on Sunday, where Pogba, Martial and Greenwood had been preserved Sunday at Wembley.

Apart from a strike from Martial repulsed by Fabianski from the second minute, then from an excess of precipitation from Ighalo in the 85th, Manchester United has hardly ever been dangerous.

His phases of control and domination, hardly incisive, never lasted more than a few minutes. In the intervals, West Ham knew by long sequences to settle in the Mancunian camp, which sometimes seemed as passive as at Wembley.

West Ham opened the scoring in added time of the first period, on a penalty from Michail Antonio, obtained following a powerful free kick from Declan Rice repelled with both arms by Paul Pogba, who instinctively wanted to protect the face (45 + 2, 0-1).

A double one-two between Martial and Greenwood allowed the second to equalize at the start of the second half (51st, 1-1), but this quick reaction did not allow the Mancunians to finally take control.

On the contrary, West Ham, undoubtedly liberated by his assured maintenance in the Premier League obtained a few days ago, which remained at the initiative, to the point of accentuating his domination, with three chances in ten minutes for Bowen, Rice and Antonio.

In the last twenty minutes, the Mancuniens hardly ever made the Londoners tremble, yet the fourth worst defense in the Premier League.

The last match of this 37th day opposes Liverpool to Chelsea, Wednesday evening (19:15 GMT). Chelsea have the opportunity to secure their qualification for the next Champions League in the event of a draw.

The Reds, for their part, will receive the Premier League trophy at the end of the meeting.

Results of the 37th day:

Saturday

Norwich City - Burnley 0 - 2

Sunday

Bournemouth - Southampton 0 - 2

Tottenham - Leicester 3 - 0

Monday

Brighton - Newcastle 0 - 0

Sheffield United - Everton 0 - 1

Wolverhampton - Crystal Palace 2 - 0

Tuesday

Watford - Manchester City 0 - 4

Aston Villa - Arsenal 1 - 0

Wednesday

Manchester United - West Ham 1 - 1

(19:15 GMT) Liverpool - Chelsea

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