West Ham put forward a performance of dominant proportion against Crystal Palace, coming back from an early deficit to take over and win the game. Here are how the players got on in this thorough trouncing not dictated by the scoreline.
After dropping 1-0 just three minutes in, heads didn’t drop in this ‘not the old West Ham’ team. Instead, the pace and pressure picked up with goals coming in the 9th and 25th minutes courtesy of Tomas Soucek.
Pressing on in the second half, the Hammers upped their goals to three and dominated despite a late consolation goal from Michy Batshuayi. Dominance, up and down the player ratings here in this match.
Lukasz Fabianski – 7/10: A low grade based on what he had to do in this match. He came off his line well and caught a few crosses despite terrible conditions. He did allow two goals which weren’t necessarily on him, but still, solid performance.
West Ham’s very own Vladimir Coufal dominated Crystal Palace’s attack, helping West Ham capture all three points.
Vladimir Coufal – 9/10: As dominant a match as you’ll see from a fullback; Vladimir Coufal was absolutely perfect in this match. He was tasked with shutting down Wilfred Zaha and the only time he was really effective was when he started the match centrally. Overall world-class effort and showing.
Craig Dawson – 9/10: Another goal to his name and some superb playing from the English centre-back. Dawson’s towering header came from Jarrod Bowen’s corner kick capping off a great performance bar the opening three minutes.
Angelo Ogbonna – 9/10: Better defensively than Dawson but without a goal, Ogbonna was his usual self, making the difficult look easy and the routine look a breeze. Best centre-back in the Premier League? The conversation needs to be started.
Proud to be a hammer rn ❤️ pic.twitter.com/UMidIJTbpH
— West Ham United (@WestHam) January 26, 2021
Aaron Cresswell – 9/10: Apart from his marking on Batshuayi in the final minute where the second goal was conceded, Cresswell played a very smart and effective match. He had the assist on Soucek’s second and was solid defensively. He also called the referee something we were all thinking…
Declan Rice – 9/10: Simply the best, better than all the rest! Alongside Ogbonna’s campaign for Premier League recognition, Rice in the midfield is right up there with the best in the league. His interceptions, tackles, recoveries, and duels won were game-changing.
Tomas Soucek – 10/10: Two massive goals to level and take the lead, Soucek was a monster in front of the opposition’s goal. His ability to not only get up the pitch but also return back to his holding midfield position to win aerial duals and force turnovers. What an absolute beast, perfect on the night.
Jarrod Bowen – 7/10: Somehow frozen out of the early action, Bowen got on the scoresheet with an assist from the corner flag that Dawson smashed home to seal the victory. He didn’t have his best performance but you can always count on him for a non-stop effort showing.
Said Benrahma – 7/10: Not on the scoresheet in this one, but the Algerian wizard put on a dribbling display in this game, nutmegging the entire Palace team and creating massive space for his teammates to capitalize on. The goals will come but Benrahma is a difference-maker.
Pablo Fornals – 8/10: Truely proving he is the offensive ticker for this West Ham team. Pablo Fornals’ performance in this match was one of 100% effort and non-stop running with a touch of poor decision making in the final third. Still, he was extremely effective and helped create the first goal.
Michail Antonio 9/10: A classic Antonio performance in this one, where the striker ran his socks off to help his teammates get forward and put the pressure on. His assist on the opening goal was awesome and creative, and his luck was extremely sour as two chances hit the post and another was brilliantly saved. Great game overall from the centre-forward.
Substitutes:
Manager David Moyes used all three subs today in this match, removing some key pieces of his attack to bolster the midfield and backline. The first addition was a surprise as Ryan Fredericks replaced Jarrod Bowen on the right side in the 81st minute. This was followed up with Andriy Yarmolenko replacing Antonio in the 83rd minute and finally Mark Noble coming on for Benrahma in the 87th minute.
The game was well-managed by Moyes and with better luck, the scoreline would have been more lopsided in the Hammers’ favour. It was a great match and West Ham presses on in an impressive season.