It can be no consolation to fans in the Bobby Moore Lower stand that the only fight they saw against Arsenal was within their vicinity.
When a small group of away supporters failed to conceal their loyalty when celebrating Kai Havertz’s goal, a scuffle ensued with disgruntled home fans and they were later escorted out of the London Stadium by stewards. As for on the pitch? It was another woeful performance; poor defending by a porous defence and a 5-2 loss that heightens the pressure on head coach Julen Lopetegui.
West Ham conceded four goals within 36 minutes, with Gabriel, Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard and Havertz getting on the scoresheet. It is the sixth time this season Lopetegui’s side have conceded three or more goals. Many fans headed to the concourse after the third goal. Those who returned were encouraged by a mini-revival as Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson Palmieri scored within two minutes, but once Bukayo Saka converted his penalty right on half-time the damage was done.
This is West Ham, a team which capitulates like no other. They conceded three goals against Chelsea in September, suffered a chastening 5-1 defeat by Liverpool in the League Cup, shipped four goals against Tottenham Hotspur and three against Nottingham Forest. This season, West Ham have only kept three clean sheets in 13 league games.
The feel-good factor from the win over Newcastle United on November 25 lasted as long as Lopetegui’s touchline ban. Whenever you suspect this team will turn a corner, defeat awaits them. There is no consistency, no sign of a sustained upward trajectory and no evidence that the team will quell the boos for home games.
Post-match, Lopetegui said West Ham had prepared for Arsenal’s set pieces. But the hapless defending for Gabriel’s opener suggested otherwise. It was a move straight from the training ground.
Odegaard, Gabriel and Jurrien Timber are unmarked, while Havertz, William Saliba and Riccardo Calafiori have to fend off Emerson, Jean-Clair Todibo and Wan-Bissaka…
Michail Antonio is tasked with marking Gabriel, but Calafiori shields the defender from the Jamaica international. Antonio is then unable to track Gabriel’s run and the Brazilian heads in Saka’s pinpoint cross. Pablo Sanz, the assistant head coach, is the man assigned to oversee West Ham’s set pieces. But he was dejected, his shoulders hunched, having witnessed the team fail to execute the game plan.
Lopetegui received his third booking of the season during the 2-0 win at St James’ Park and the Spaniard served his touchline ban by sitting in the directors’ box, communicating to his backroom staff on the touchline with an earpiece. Having had a higher vantage, he believed Timber obstructed Lucas Paqueta in the build-up to the opening goal.
“The first one was a set piece that we prepared but, in my opinion, it is a very clear foul,” said Lopetegui. “If it’s not a foul, we have to review the rules. But, for sure, we have to do better with the second and third goal.
“In all offensive blocks there is a limit. All coaches prepare set pieces with blocks. In my opinion he (Paqueta) had the position (and Timber pushed him) without the intention to play the ball. We have a lot of talks in (meetings) with the referees about these kinds of actions. Sometimes we are a little bit lost with the interpretation of the rules.”
By half-time, Saka and Odegaard had taken 60 touches between them and the duo exploited West Ham’s hesitant defending. But it was a lapse in concentration which led to Trossard’s goal.
When Saka is in possession in the build-up here, West Ham have a good defensive line…
But Odegaard spots Saka’s run and threads a pass…
Todibo and Maximilian Kilman are late to respond, while Wan-Bissaka loses sight of Trossard and the Belgian converts from close range.
Paqueta was back to his best against Newcastle but he has only fleetingly produced good performances since August. The Brazilian tends to switch off and has a habit of giving away possession.
With West Ham already 2-0 down, he conceded a penalty for a foul on Saka, which Odegaard converted.
Paqueta was at fault for the fourth goal, too, when he gave the ball away in midfield.
Jorginho intercepts his pass to Carlos Soler…
And Trossard quickly plays a long ball to Havertz, leaving Kilman as the last man…
The defender, a £40million ($51.2m) summer signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers, misses the ball and Havertz duly converts.
Lukasz Fabianski has been solid since replacing Alphonse Areola in goal, but a misjudgement saw him foul Gabriel from an Arsenal corner, prompting referee Anthony Taylor to award another penalty before half-time, which Saka scored.
West Ham limited Arsenal to one shot on target in the second half, but many fans had left by the time Danny Ings’ scuffed shot went wide from close range. He refrained from punching the ground in frustration, a feeling shared by those who stayed.
“The fifth goal, before half-time, killed the match,” bemoaned Lopetegui. “We scored two goals and ended the half with positive energy. It wasn’t a penalty. Compare the contact for the first goal on Lucas Paqueta and then it happened with Lukasz (Fabianski) and Gabriel. We were unlucky with the decision but it’s not one excuse because we can and must do better.”
A trip to struggling Leicester City on Tuesday is a chance to make amends. There have been a number of passionate pleas from the head coach this season; some have had the desired effect, others have fallen on deaf eyes. Whichever of the two transpire against a Leicester side who will be led by Ruud van Nistelrooy for the first time could have a bearing on Lopetegui’s future.
(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
