Joao strikes in stoppage time to sink United

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Striker's header earns Albion a 2-1 win after Danny Welbeck had scored the 100th club goal of his career.

2024-08-24T14:30+01:00

Jan Paul van Hecke leads the celebrations after Danny Welbeck put Albion ahead. Photo: Paul Hazlewood.

Joao Pedro headed a stoppage-time winner as Albion sunk Manchester United in the Amex rain.

The striker headed in Simon Adingra’s cross to settle a pulsating contest which had ebbed and flowed.

Danny Welbeck scored the 100th goal of his club career to put Albion ahead when he converted Kaoru Mitoma’s cross before United levelled in the second half through Amad Diallo.

Welbeck hit the bar with a header while Joshua Zirkzee had a goal disallowed for offside but just when it looked like a point apiece Joao struck.

The Brazilian had tested Onana from 20 yards United should have gone in front after 12 minutes but the unmarked Diallo steered Diogo Dalot’s left-wing cross wide from eight yards.

Joel Veltman challenges Marcus Rashford at a rain-lashed Amex. Photo: Paul Hazlewood

A slow-burner of a contest burst into life on 31 minutes when Albion struck. Joao’s ball across the face of goal ought to have been cleared but it got through to Kaoru Mitoma and his low cross found Welbeck sliding in to score his fifth goal against his former club.

Marcus Rashford thought he’d equalised from the restart, beating Jason Steele from close range after Albion’s keeper made a superb save from Rashford’s header, but he was offside.

Albion nearly doubled their lead in the 51st minute. Joao outmuscled Casemiro and played James Milner in and he got ahead of Maguire to prod the ball goalwards only for Dalot to cover across and clear it off the line.

Yankuba Minteh became an increasing menace down the right. Welbeck headed his teasing cross straight at Onana but went desperately close to scoring again on 59 minutes. Minteh’s free kick from the left was lifted to the back post where Welbeck met it with a solid header that came back off the bar.

Jan Paul van Hecke leads the celebrations after Danny Welbeck put Albion ahead. Photo: Paul Hazlewood.

Instead of doubling their lead Albion were pegged back just past the hour. Diallo cut inside Jack Hinshelwood on the right and his curling shot went in off the unfortunate Jan Paul van Hecke who was sliding across to try and block the effort.

Albion enjoyed a reprieve when Joshua Zirkzee inadvertently touched fellow sub Garnacho’s shot, which was going in anyway, over the line from an offside position, but it was Albion who looked more likely to find a late winner and deep into stoppage time it came.

Yankuba Minteh tries to find a way through the United defence. Photo: Paul Hazlewood

Substitute Adingra did superbly to spot Joao unmarked at the far post and his dinked cross was headed powerfully past Onana and Albion have six points out of six.

Albion: Steele, Veltman, Dunk, van Hecke, Hinshelwood, Gilmour (Ayari 89), Milner (Baleba 72), Minteh (Rutter 89), Joao, Welbeck (Enciso 79), Mitoma (Adingra 89).