PLEASANT IN THE BIG CITY
West Ham 1 Manchester City 1
One of the irritating advents of Premier League ‘Big Money’ football for West Ham fans has been the previous ‘writing off’ of home fixtures against sides like Manchester City or Liverpool. Indeed at the beginning of the 2019-20 season, even though the Hammers’ manager was one of those who had won the title with City, people were writing off the game as a ‘free hit.’ Sure enough, West Ham lost 5-0. Add this to the previous games against City at this new stadium that was supposed to raise the WHU profile to the extent where they’d be seen as able to compete with such teams, 0-5, 0-4, 1-4, 0-4, 0-5, and there it is – lost all five, scored 1, conceded 22. Pitiful.
Going back to the previous five games to that v City at the Boleyn ground, 2-2, 2-1, 0-3, 1-3, 1-1, won one, drew two, lost two, scored 6, conceded 10, it looked then less like a ‘free hit’ and more like a game where being the home side might offer some hope.
Today West Ham have 7 points from their first five games, last season they had 8 at the same stage, but wins over Watford and Norwich, two clubs that were to be eventually relegated, was nothing to get too excited about. Wins over Leicester and Wolves, and a point at Tottenham after a dramatic fightback, not to mention a goal difference of +4, and this season things look more promising.
The Behind Closed Doors element to the Premier League seems to be adding an air of spirit to a money-dominated league, indicated by Aston Villa and Everton’s smart early showings. City are facing the Hammers from behind them in the table for the first time since 2009, having been smashed 2-5 at home by Leicester City (who Hammers then defeated 3-0 the following week).
In the first couple of minutes City almost take an early lead as Sterling bursts through from Aguero’s clever pass, but it’s Vlad the Enforcer who interposes himself between player and ball to concede the corner. He reminds me of a young Billy Bonds at right back, newly signed from Charlton Athletic, in the late 1960s. The opening quarter of an hour offers a lot of possession for City but little action for Fabianski, and when it comes, the first goal is for the home side. Aguero loses possession in the centre circle, and Fornals immediately finds Bowen with a neat through ball and City put it out for a throw. When Soucek picks up the loose ball he plays it to Foucal whose deep cross is turned in spectacularly with an overhead from Antonio, despite the close attentions of City’s new signing Ruben Dias. Guardiola looks studious, but not beaten. It is extraordinary how the goal emboldens West Ham, and they control the next half an hour and should be further ahead in the 25th minute when Garcia fells Antonio as he accelerates past him, wide on the left. Mahrez is profligate a couple of times in front of goal, and Hammers edge it in the half and deserve to be ahead at the interval. Two interesting points to notice from the game so far are first how Fabianski has hit virtually all his goal kicks long, and not played out possession from the back, and second how Cresswell and Masuaku, players who have rarely played in the same team over the last few seasons are now both part of an integrated defence, letting very little through. Masuaku, in particular, often partial to a dribble, has shown some very deft touches at times.
20 year old local boy Phil Foden is introduced at the beginning of the second half to replace Sergio Aguero, having this year made his debut as a full England international. For all the international flair on show in the City side, it is their local Stockport born boy who makes the difference, winning a corner in the first minute. Antonio holds up a hand to indicate a hamstring pull. Kevin Nolan discusses tactics with Yarmolenko who looks like the replacement, but before he can come on, Foucal is beaten down the left and the cross in finds Foden who manoeuvres his position swiftly to hammer home past Fabianski. Rather irritatingly, the organisation off the substitution appears to have led to a slip in concentration and city are level as Yarmolenko enters the fray.
City now settle down for their best passage of play in the match. They have half an hour to control this game and find a second goal to win it. Yarmolenko, who likes to cut in from the right, sees very little of the ball in his first quarter of an hour on the pitch. City have the upper hand and in previous seasons their possession might have won it for them, but not this afternoon. Foucal is very solid at the back on the right from where most of City’s threat is operating. Bowen’s tireless and often unsupported runs swallow much of the game’s time as those wishing for West Ham to get something out of the game continue to look nervously across at Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian finally comes on to replace Bernardo Silva, but apart from a lone poor free kick, offers little threat. Yarmolenko has his one chance in the game that he spoons up and over before Haller joins him at the expense of Jarrod Bowen. An odd substitution, perhaps a throw of the dice to have two out and out strikers at the cost of a chance maker.
Fornals is through on 84 minutes, found by Yarmolenko, and onside as the replay shows, but he just has no energy left in him to get into a position to beat Ederson. Masuaku then lets De Bruyne in on the ball to put Sterling in and only the quick thinking of Fabianski blocks the chance. A minute later and Yarmolenko’s back pass is blocked to let Sterling in again and this time the genius of Ogbonna takes it off his talented toes before Yarmolenko, chasing back to atone for his error, wellies it clear. The three additional minutes pass without incident and it’s a point won for West Ham in the end, their first in six meetings with Manchester City at London Stadium. Thank goodness next week only offers up Liverpool away as opposition.
1 Lucasz Fabianski, 21 Angelo Ogbonna, 4 Fabian Balbuena, 3 Aaron Cresswell, 5 Vladimir Coufal, 41 Declan Rice (c), 28 Tomas Soucek, 26 Arthur Masuaku, 20 Jarrod Bowen, 30 Michael Antonio, 18 Pablo Fornals
Substitutes: 7 Andriy Yarmolenko, 22 Sébastien Haller
Scorer: 30 Michail Antonio
