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Maya be all fairy standard stuff but nothing else much going on !
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West Ham need to cut out sloppy mistakes as attention turns to huge Frankfurt game
All boxing events contain an undercard that precedes the main event. West Ham United’s recent Premier League fixtures have felt like contests where one fighter is aware that their efforts are only a warm up for the all-important clash to follow.
Immediately after the 2-1 loss to Arsenal, the reaction among supporters was roll on Thursday, chants of the club being massive and optimism about the week ahead. Ever since David Moyes’ side beat Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, all the focus and attention among the fanbase has been to book flights and hotels to Germany for the semi-final second-leg tie against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Even those who jumped the gun and booked accommodation in Barcelona will be cheering the team 679 miles away. Those unable to travel to Germany have already mastered their excuse for their non-attendance to work. Those who have been unable to persuade their bosses will work the charm and provide evidence as to why they should be excused to watch their beloved side.
The upcoming match against Frankfurt is the main event they hope will live up to the hype, the main event you have no qualms paying the box office fee for.
Sunday’s fixture was the warm-up bout that many wanted its outcome to hasten. But although the loss meant West Ham failed to close the gap on top-six rivals Manchester United, the players will feel they were deserving of a point. They have played 52 league and cup games this season, 11 more than Arsenal, yet for large periods made it a tough encounter for the visitors. The hosts had 56 per cent of possession, in comparison to Arsenal’s 44.
Yet the manner in which West Ham conceded both goals could have been avoided. Moyes’ side are winless in their last four league games (drawn one and lost three); their longest run without a victory in the competition since December 2020 (also four). This was only their second home defeat in the top-flight this year since losing to Leeds in January.
“We kept Arsenal quiet,” said Moyes. “What we didn’t do a good job on was set pieces, which we’re normally very good at, both attacking and defending. But the team we selected was a risk because we took out a couple of bigger players who head the ball for us. That was the risk we took and in the end it came back to punish us. We played much better with the ball but the gamble on not having the height didn’t quite work.
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Gabriel scores Arsenal’s second goal from a set piece (Photo: Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)
“We had a game on Thursday night, they didn’t, so we were entitled to have a slower start to the game. I felt we were the better team in the first half. We did a lot of good things against an Arsenal side that causes teams problems. But it came down to probably two simple things, certainly the corner kicks. We would have liked to have not given them away but when we did we would have liked to have defended them better.”
The pleasing aspects of the performance was Jarrod Bowen extending his great form, having scored his 16th goal in all competitions this season. He is the first Englishman since Kevin Nolan in 2012-13 to reach double figures for goals in a league campaign for the club. Many will hope he produces another brilliant performance on Thursday and showcase why he is a Hammer of the Year contender.
“He’s done great,” said Moyes. “He had opportunities (against Frankfurt) the chance with one hitting the post and the other hitting the underside of the bar. Let’s hope we can just get that little bit of things that are going slightly against us to turn because we need it.”
Vladimir Coufal’s return to the starting eleven led to the right-back registering his fourth league assist of the campaign, while captain Mark Noble made another rare start alongside Declan Rice. Ben Johnson was sidelined with a thigh strain and could be a doubt for Thursday. If the versatile defender recovers from his knock then it is one of the selection dilemmas Moyes faces.
It was an attack-minded performance from Coufal, who offensively poses more of a threat than Johnson. Since 2020-21 the Czech Republic international has created 63 chances (including assists), while Johnson has just 13. Coufal’s 44 successful open-play crosses ranks better than Johnson’s 17. The 29-year-old has also registered ten assists in that time frame. Since Johnson made his debut against Manchester City in 2019, the England Under-21 international is yet to manage an assist in 55 appearances in all competitions.
“I’m not thinking about Thursday at the moment until I get rid of this,” said Moyes. “I’ll be ready for it on Monday.”
As the game against Frankfurt nears, so too does the nerves and excitement.
Yet for many, there is relief that all their attention is now firmly on the all-important main
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