After a thrilling Friday night victory over Tottenham and with Premier League safety now confirmed, West Ham came crashing back down to earth with a 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
If you support West Ham then smashing Spurs and getting thumped against Liverpool the following week is just normal – It’s ‘the West Ham way’. But that doesn’t stop it being disappointment.
Here is my review of the game:
Team news
Two changes from the win over Spurs. Mark Noble (abdominal) and Cheikou Kouyate (wrist) are both ruled out for the season after surgery. Adrian was in goal, a back three of James Collins, Winston Reid and Jose Fonte, Aaron Cresswell left-wing back with Sam Byram on the right. Havard Nordtveit and Edimilson Fernandes were the holding pair in midfield. Record signing Andre Ayew and Argentine wonder boy Manuel Lanzini played just in behind Jonathan Calleri.
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First Half
Within the first ten minutes West Ham had a great chance at going ahead, a ball played across the box from Calleri into the path of Byram, but the right back’s shot was just dragged wide of the goal.
Liverpool hit the crossbar moments later from a Philippe Coutinho corner. Joel Matip was left unmarked and his downwards header bounced up off the ground before hitting the bar and being cleared to safety. It was a let off for what has been a great defensive unit of late.
Fernandes hit a 30-yard strike which was saved by the Red’s goalkeeper Simon Mignolet after 15 minutes. Liverpool were playing a high line forcing these kind of shots at their goal.
The game was being played in a pre-season friendly manner and it was very open. After 35 minutes the break through finally came for the visitors as a ball from Coutinho was played into Daniel Sturridge who was unmarked and in miles of space. He kept his composure with a couple of step overs before placing the ball into the back of the net. Adrian was at no fault given how exposed he was.
A corner just before the break produced in my opinion the miss of the season. Fonte won the header which fell into the path of Ayew, who from 3-yards out managed to hit the post! And then on the rebound, he managed to do it again! Shocking really and the whistle blew for half time.
Second Half
Liverpool came out flying and after just 2 minutes into the second half had Adrian working with a triple save keeping the Hammers in the game. Ashley Fletcher and Sofiane Feghouli replaced Calleri and Fonte in what looked an attacking move from Slaven Bilic shortly after.
Sadly for the Croatian his double change didn’t pay off as Georginio Wijnaldum smashed the crossbar with a superb strike from distance. Following that West Ham couldn’t clear their lines and Coutinho picked the ball up, ran through three defenders and smashed the ball in from 25-yards for 2-0.
The Hammers continued to fight but from a corner in which Reid was elbowed in the face by Wijnaldum. The Merseysider’s countered and made it 3-0 thanks to Coutinho grabbing his brace but in very controversal fashion. Firstly the referee should have stopped play due to the foul being a head injury, also replays showed the ball hit the Liverpool midfielders arm, so not only should Slav’s men have had a penalty but also the ball should never have been allowed to travel that far in the first place!
The game was all but over following on from this, Divock Origi hit the frame of the goal for the third time before grabbing a scrappy fourth for the Red’s. Full time and a hugely disappointing last game of the season at the London Stadium.
Next: Loss Shows Hammers need Zabaleta
Next Sunday West Ham face Burnley away at Tuff Moor, the last game in which has been a strange season to say the least.