West Ham’s win against Chelsea would have been a sweet one for David Moyes. But he can’t savour the win for too long, with Arsenal next up.
A few weeks ago I would have laughed if you’d said we had beaten Chelsea. To be honest, it still feels a little surreal. But David Moyes has changed the atmosphere around West Ham, and the players seem to believe. With players returning from injury, how will Moyes take on the Arsenal challenge?
A common strategy is the ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’ one. Obviously that’s a very simple thing to say because a winning team got what you wanted, but sometimes a different team requires a different emphasis. Chelsea and Arsenal are both big teams, but they have different strengths and weaknesses.
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The team against Chelsea was set up to absorb pressure then hit them quickly up the flanks. A similar tactic could pay dividends against Arsenal, who like to play high up the pitch. However the Chelsea side is more physical in nature, and didn’t allow much into the box at all. A leakier Arsenal back line, especially on the road, may call for some more subtlety in the form of Hernandez up front.
Antonio, who is set to be fit again for tonight, ran himself into the ground against Chelsea. In my opinion he would be worth saving until the match against Stoke. Arnautovic up top with Hernandez, who have better control over the ball at feet, could fashion more space against Arsenal than Antonio’s direct approach.
James Collins also confirmed on instagram that he is back in the squad. Is he likely to replace anyone in the central back three? No. The defence is something I hate tinkering with. Reid, Ogbonna and Cresswell played magnificently on Saturday, and I’d back them to do the same job again. They were quick into the challenge and strong in the air when called upon.
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So when it comes to changes…I wouldn’t make many. I’d be tempted to not make any. However Moyes mut not get caught up in one performance. He must make sure that he is setting up his team to perform for the next 90 minutes, not the previous one.