West Ham's wait for a first Championship win of the season goes on. A Mattie Pollock own goal cancelled out Amin Nabizada's opener at Vicarage Road, but a much-improved second-half display from Nuno Espírito Santo's side wasn't enough to turn a share of the spoils into three points. It leaves the Hammers without a win from their opening three league games, and a section of the travelling support made their frustration heard with chants calling for Nuno's job by full time.
Watford broke the deadlock through Nabizada in the first half, and for a spell it looked like West Ham's flat start to the season was about to get worse. The equaliser, when it came, was farcical rather than fashioned. Taty Castellanos robbed Watford defender Keben as he tried to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick, and Pollock could only turn the loose ball into his own net from close range. The goal visibly rattled Watford's back line, and Keben in particular took time to recover his composure.
West Ham grew into the game notably after the break, dominating large spells of possession and territory without finding the second goal their improvement deserved. Arne Engels fired narrowly wide, Jarrod Bowen saw an effort blocked before nodding the follow-up over the bar under pressure, and only a last-ditch Pollock tackle denied Manor Solomon what looked a certain chance. For all that control, though, West Ham never found the finish to match the pressure, and had to survive some nervy late moments of their own before the final whistle confirmed a draw that satisfied nobody in claret and blue.
Player Ratings
Mads Hermansen - 6: Rarely tested but composed with the ball at his feet, part of a defence that otherwise struggled to deal with Watford's early aggression.
Kyle Walker-Peters - 5: A solid if unspectacular shift at right-back, doing little wrong without imposing himself heavily going forward.
Airidas Golambeckis - 6: The 18-year-old's league debut for West Ham was steady in possession but part of a back line that was second best for large stretches of the first half.
Max Kilman - 6: Defended reasonably well but couldn't prevent Watford's opener and offered little going forward from set-pieces this time out.
Joel Veltman - 6: Showed a better pace on the right side than Walker-Peters; the change was needed. West Ham's improved second-half showing had a lot to do with Veltman’s ability to gain possession and see the field better from the right side.
Arne Engels - 6: Growing into his West Ham career, he came closest to giving the visitors the lead with a shot that flashed narrowly wide in the second half. He seemed a lot more comfortable than he did a week ago.
Mohammedou Kante - 5: Sloppy in the first half, showed little improvement, but skied an attempt at goal when he had open teammates around him. He needs to make better decisions if Nuno is going to keep him in the starting eleven.
Jarrod Bowen - 6: Involved in West Ham's best second-half moments, drawing a save and heading a rebound over from close range when a goal looked likely. The captain isn’t getting the ball enough with space.
Divine Makasa - 5: Wasn’t as fluid as he was against Southampton. Nuno was right to give him an opportunity to start, but a slow first half led to him eventually being subbed in for Joel Piroe.
Manor Solomon - 7: Bright in the second half and unfortunate not to be through on goal, only for a last-gasp Pollock challenge to deny him. So far this season, Solomon has been West Ham’s most consistent attacking player.
Taty Castellanos - 7: The catalyst for West Ham's goal, robbing Keben of possession to force the error that led to Pollock's own goal. Arguably the difference between a point and nothing at all.
Lewis Orford - 6: Tidy without being spectacular in the middle of the park, helping West Ham dominate territory after the break. He’s a better option right now than Kanté in the middle of the pitch.
Ollie Scarles - 5: Subbed in at the 85th minute, showed some spring in his step, breaking up a play that could have developed into something dangerous.
Joel Piroe - 5: Quiet in open play, unable to get involved enough in the box to trouble Watford's goal directly.
Where do the Hammers go from here?
Two points from a possible nine, a two-goal lead surrendered at Burnley, and a home defeat to Charlton either side of this draw is not the start anyone at West Ham envisioned after being installed as promotion favourites. The improvement after the break offers something to build on, but patience among a section of the away support is visibly wearing thin. In every match this season, Nuno’s squad starts off with no urgency. West Ham typically don’t get invested in the attacking half until they are scored upon.
With ten minutes left to play, dominating possession and needing a goal for a much-needed win, Nuno’s only substitution was Ollie Scarles. The Portuguese manager rewarded Mukasa and Golambeckis with spots in the starting eleven after fine performances on Tuesday, but left Josh Ajala, who scored 2 goals in the Carabao Cup tie versus Southampton, on the bench. There seems to be no urgency to win, and supporters certainly let the squad know how they felt.
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