Two weeks ago we were on a massive downer after embarrassing ourselves at Spurs. Since then, we’ve played three, won three, and scored ten while conceding only one. We needed a response and we got one. So credit where it’s due; it’s been a good week and the players have bounced back well.
I don’t think we even got out of third gear against West Ham, but second gear would probably have been enough as the Hammers are a hot mess. Sadio Mané being back in the starting line up lifted everyone and we just look a different team when we’ve got him and Mo out there. It’s easy to say now, but I knew we’d win as soon as I saw the team. Any time we’ve got the dynamic duo out there I’ll back us to win.
What was interesting this time was that Oxlade-Chamberlain joined them in what might be the quickest forward line to have ever taken the field for us.
When the team was announced most assumed Ox (I’m calling him that now, because a) Klopp does, 2) ‘the Ox’ sounds lame, and 3) I’m too lazy to type out his full name every time) would be in the midfield three. That’s where he wants to play, apparently, and it looked like this was his chance.
When the game kicked off though we saw that Klopp had thrown a curveball and changed to 4-4-2, with Mo up front and Mané and Ox on the wings. There’s something about a trip to West Ham that makes Kloppo want to experiment. Remember last year and he just randomly switched to a midfield diamond with Sturridge and Origi up top?
Just like last year, the change worked and we scored four. And just like last year, West Ham should have taken the lead but instead hit the woodwork. Remember that sitter Ayew missed in that game? Well he had another great chance this time. Mignolet hesitated but when he did come out he narrowed the angle, and Ayew’s shot hit the post.
That was the only chance they had in the half (although there was another nervy moment when Mignolet decided to start dribbling instead of just clearing it), but how many times have we seen that one chance end up going in? We dodged a bullet there, and soon after we had the lead.
For all the problems we’ve had defending set-pieces I think we’ve finally cracked it. Klopp has realised that the best way to defend corners is for us to score from them. That way, teams will be too scared to send players forward. We did the same to Arsenal too.
Speed kills, and that opening goal was just frightening. Firmino won a great header in his own box and all of a sudden you’ve got Sadio and & Mo charging forward. No-one is catching them two, and in fact the only player who managed to keep pace with them was Oxlade-Chamberlain. The West Ham defenders looked like they were running in treacle, but it’s not like they didn’t try to get back, they just couldn’t catch our speedsters.
Mané kept a cool head and waited until the perfect moment to play the pass, and Mo confidently rolled it past the keeper. Goals like that are killers. One minute a team has a corner and they’re thinking “we might get something here” and then BANG. They’re picking it out of their own net.
There are many ways to score a goal but nothing quite gets my pulse racing quite like the lightning, length of the field counter attack. I fucking love those goals, and we’re becoming the masters at it. One minute we're in defensive mode, the next it looks like the lads are in a school playground playing British Bulldogs.
The best form of defence for us might just be to make opponents so terrified of us that they daren’t risk attacking. It’s working for Man City right now. They’re not good at the back but it isn’t hurting them much. There's a lot to be said for the fear factor, especially when you don't really have anything else.
For years I’ve had a stick up my arse about us not leaving players forward from corners. If you leave two up, they have to leave three back. If you leave, three, they leave four etc Now I’m fine with not leaving anyone up.
Lull them into a false sense of security and then hit them with the blistering speed of Mané, Salah, Moreno, Ox & co. It’s a thing of beauty when we get it right.
We’re more dangerous from the other team’s corners than we are our own, although West Ham are so bad they even let us score from one of ours. To be fair, a goal has been coming for Matip all season. He gets chances every game but thankfully this one wasn’t with his head so he managed to hit the target.
When it got to 2-0 the West Ham crowd turned on their team. At that point we should have stepped on their throat and beat them 6-0. It was entirely possible as their heads had gone completely. You’ll never see a team more there for the taking. They were on the floor reeling.
Mark Noble even got booked for diving. The very epitome of the ‘good old fashioned, honest English pro’ and he’s hurling himself around like fucking Ander Herrera. The one he got booked for was actually his second of the game. His own fans were giving him a really hard time, but then all he did was pass backwards and dive, so I can understand that.
The 2-0 lead and West Ham’s ineptitude masked the fact that we weren’t actually playing very well. A counter attack and a set-piece had put us in control but it wasn’t exactly flowing football. Still, a 2-0 lead gave us a perfect platform to run away with it in the second half.
It didn’t really happen though. They sent on Andy Carroll and were finally able to get the ball in our own half for a sustained period. Before that it was just too easy for us. Bilic not starting Carroll against our backline was stupid. That in itself was reason enough to sack him. Nothing is reason enough to hire Moyes though. The soft cunts deserve everything that's coming to them now.
Anyway, we dealt with Carroll pretty well but his presence lifted West Ham and gave us something to worry about. It didn’t help that we kept giving the ball back to them and I didn’t like the way the game was going even before we let them score. I wouldn’t say the goal was coming because Mignolet wasn’t having to do anything, but it was frustrating that we had lost the control we had and given them a chance to regroup.
Then we gave them a lifeline with a terrible goal and I’m thinking ‘here we go, fucking knob heads’. I have no idea what Gomez was doing there. He seemed to be more worried about where Lanzini was than where the ball was. Just head the ball away, it’s not that difficult. Do that and it doesn't matter what Lanzini is doing. Instead he tried to lean into Lanzini and the Argentine brought the ball down and finished well.
I barely had enough time to type up an angry whatsapp group message before we’d restored our two goal lead. What a goal it was too. Absolutely fantastic play by Firmino and although Ox needed two goes at it, he got it done and that completely killed West Ham’s comeback almost as soon as it started.
It should never have been in doubt anyway but at least we hit back quickly, otherwise it could have gotten hairy. Even at 3-1 it wasn’t great, we had a spell of about ten minutes where the ball kept coming back at us because no-one was prepared to put their foot on it. Fortunately West Ham are in such a state they couldn't make it count. In fairness, the goal apart we defended well and the midfield offered good protection. The switch to 4-4-2 worked, but with Coutinho and Lallana coming back I doubt we'll see much more of it.
Eventually we settled back down again and then Mo wrapped it up with a Fowler-esque finish following some great play by Mané. Once it got to 4-1 West Ham had nothing left and it could easily have ended up six or seven as we had plenty of chances, especially in the last 15 minutes after Milner and Solanke were brought on.
Mané lasting 75 minutes was an unexpected bonus and no-one will be happier to see him back than Firmino. His contribution only ever comes into focus when the rest of the team is not scoring enough. He’s the first one people look to when the goals dry up because he’s the centre forward. With Mané and Salah tearing it up either side of him, Firmino can just play his natural game without the pressure of needing to be the main goalscorer.
The only thing missing from his performance was a goal. He was brilliant otherwise. Had he put away one of the two chances he had, we’d have been talking about a complete performance. He was everywhere. Harassing defenders, bringing team-mates into the game, running with the ball, he was doing it all. But imagine what we’d be saying about his performance if we hadn’t scored four goals. All the focus would be on his two missed chances. Having Sadio and Mo in there takes so much pressure of Firmino and allows him to just do his thing.
As for the rest, Ox did alright and I’m made up for him getting a goal. That’s two for us now, which must be close to his season average at Arsenal. That was his big problem. He’s a forward who hardly ever scores, but if he can start chipping in with double figures (or at least close to it, depending on how many starts he gets) then he’ll be a good asset.
Can played very well I thought. He was good on the ball and when Carroll came on he did a good job standing up to him, taking a couple of bangs to the face for his trouble. He was just too big and strong for West Ham’s midfielders and one run he did late on when he just powered through the middle was ace.
Mo was the star though. He's great isn't he, especially when he's putting his chances away. Keeping him and Mané on the field is the key to our season. We can't win the league, but we might make some waves in Europe if we can stay injury free.
Domestically though, City are going to run away with it and the rest of us are playing to be best of the also rans. A couple of weeks ago we looked like the worst of the chasing pack but things can change quickly and we now go into the international break in decent shape.
Losses for United and Arsenal have helped, but more importantly we’ve helped ourselves by doing the thing we’ve so often failed to do: we've taken care of business against shite teams. Whether that continues remains to be seen, but at least things look better than they did two weeks ago.
Team: Mignolet; Gomez, Matip, Klavan, Moreno; Oxlade-Chamberlain (Lovren), Can, Wijnaldum, Mané (Milner); Firmino (Solanke), Salah:
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