5 Takeaways from West Ham's 4-0 loss to Manchester City

Post-match thoughts after a 4-0 loss are usually best constructed 24+ hours after the match. I unwound myself, took some time away, and watched the game again. Here are my five POSITIVE West Ham take away points after the Irons most recent match.

1: The West Ham Way was in full effect

West Ham were beaten soundly by arguably the best and deepest team in all of Europe. It was a little predictable but after a week off due to the international break we (myself included) were all hoping West Ham would come back poised, rested, and ready to shock the world against the Premier League leaders. Despite the score, West Ham played well here.

I think it’s a West Ham proverb; play hard and the fans will get behind you regardless of the score in the match. If there was ever a game where this was true, it was this one. Manuel Pellegrini stuck his standard in the ground and made a statement with his team selection, determined to not let his opposition pick his team, and attack the ball.

The stats support this attacking mentality as well. West Ham out crossed City 6-5 in this match and also heavily beat them on corners with 8 won for West Ham and only one for City. Sure, City out possessed West Ham 69-31% but it felt like a heavy 31%, didn’t it? Regardless, the team was applauded when they marched up the field relentlessly throughout the game; it was something we all enjoyed.

2: Aaron Cresswell looked solid

I don’t know if Cresswell actually looked good or Arthur Masuaku looked so bad, that in comparison literally anyone else would have been an upgrade. Seriously, that may have been one of the worst individual defensive performances I’ve ever seen. In all three first-half goals, Masuaku either blew coverage or misplayed a ball to lead to a goal.

Cresswell was a sub brought on to start the second half and for a man who hasn’t looked himself in more than a year, Cress actually seemed settled and relaxed on the pitch. Something I enjoyed seeing from him is his usual longball clearances. Against lesser opposition, he can make you pull your hair out by lobbing the ball up the pitch just to relieve pressure even when a simple pass was available, however against City this was a welcomed pressure reliever and usually necessary.

Cresswell’s issues look to be as much mental as they are physical but with no pressure on him coming in during a 3-0 loss, Cresswell looked settled. He didn’t deserve to be dropped previous to performances but he certainly has cemented himself in the team from here on out.

3: Felipe Anderson continues to impress

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He’s got dribbles, passes, stepovers, take on’s, and now he has the corner kick delivery we’ve been missing! His short kicks to the front post that ALL got cleared seem to be a thing of the past, and now Anderson is providing flat deliveries. It’s a massive improvement and one that will certainly benefit the likes of Issa Diop, Fabian Balbuena, and Andy Carroll once he gets some game time.

Anderson was also drawing a lot of negative attention after he wasn’t tracking back nearly enough. With West Ham often exposed through their leaky left-back position. Anderson has become reliable on both sides of the ball. He is coming back as far as West Ham’s penalty area and is helping outlet the ball not just running towards the opponents’ goal.

4: Declan Rice is a necessity in midfield

Another match, and another performance worthy of a few extra grand a week for young Declan Rice. He was immense in this match and looked superb clogging up the neutral areas and stopping the likes of David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.

West Ham were attacked down the flanks by Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane all match long. Why? Because the center trio of Rice, Diop, and Balbuena made it extremely difficult to penetrate in build-up play. Rice also dispossessed Fernandinho a few times in West Ham’s end, forcing a turnover and switching possession to allow West Ham to get on the front foot. He’s a legitimate star and is building his reputation up match by match.

Sign him up.

5: No Carroll substitution was the right decision

A rousing cheer was heard nearing the 60th minute as West Ham’s cult striker Andy Carroll began warming up on the sidelines. After an injury sustained in a preseason game kept him out for the entirety of the season so far, it seemed that Carroll was finally ready to return. He had a few weeks of training, played in a closed-door match during the international break, and is well rested. So why didn’t Pellegrini use the Geordie striker?

West Ham were never and Andy Carroll away from being in the match, and with an extremely important run of games coming up the bench options of Chicharito and Lucas Perez were better suited for this match. The dream is that Andy Carroll will play up top with Marko Arnautovic to bully opponents and be on the receiving end of an impressively talented attacking line. This match just didn’t have the rate of play that would see Carroll being effective.

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Pellegrini made some wise decisions with starting Michail Antonio, who had his best game of the season, giving Chicharito extended time off the bench, and incorporating Lucas Perez in the match, all in an effort to showcase their skills. Carroll isn’t going anywhere in January and so the decision to preserve his health is the best decision for West Ham.

5 Takeaways from West Ham’s 4-0 loss to Manchester City

By Adam Smith | Nov 26, 2018