West Ham rode their luck at times but put in a clinical second half performance against Cardiff. All in all it was a win and there were some good performances in there as well.
West Ham’s first back to back wins in almost 2 years could have been a distant dream if Fabianski hadn’t saved Rall’s penalty in the first half. The Hammers dominated the early exchanges but failed to make a breakthrough and were almost punished when Arnautovic made a clumsy challenge in the box. However Poland’s best kept out what was a poor penalty to keep it level at half time.
Arnautovic went off in the first half, which for me answered the question about whether or not he should have been rested for the game. But it was his replacement, former Arsenal man Perez, that sparked the Hammers in the second half. His two goals in quick succession put the game beyond a lacklustre Cardiff side and ensured the Hammers got their back to back wins.
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Whilst Perez will get the plaudits, and Fabianski will hopefully be recognised for his penalty save, there were other top performances as well. Snodgrass continued to show his creativity on the right wing with two assists, whilst Antonio put in a storming shift at right back. To be fair, he didn’t have too much defending to do and spent most of his time in the opposing half.
Chicharito also dealt well with the change of partner and continued to make energetic runs throughout the game. With Arnie potentially out you have to expect he will be the focal point for the Hammers in the next few matches, and with Perez getting two goals it’s hard to drop him. Will they be able to do it against Palace?
I also have to give a shout out to someone who is fast becoming one of my favourite players, Grady Diangana. Replacing Sndograss late on he forced Etheridge into one or two smart saves and looks supremely confident on the ball. Quite simply I think he is supremely undervalued and could become a little star over the next 12 months.
Whilst the Hammers did stumble at points that is two games where we have scored 3 and controlled the game for large periods. Could this be a happy Christmas season for the Hammers. I hope so!