Yes, it is I, Le Clerc, or at least Dan Thomas, with your match report of the 5-1 swatting of West Ham. That ended up being a load of fun, didn’t it?
After 20 minutes and being 1-0 down to a Keystone Kops own goal, it didn’t look like it would be a lot of fun at all. The much changed Reds however roared back in style to complete a 5-1 rout of West Ham, the same result as last season when we went on the lift the Coca Cola/Carling/Capital One/Carabao Cup. A good omen? How is the Pope feeling these days…?
We made a lot of changes for this game as we all expected. Arne Slot has been quite rigid with his team selection so far but this was always going to be a game for the Konates of the world to sit out as we balance a pretty heavy calendar over the next three weeks before another accursed jabroni international break.
The good thing about making changes for us, is that our squad is so good that we can immediately put out a team that can and will beat most teams even when we make significant changes. It comes to something when the likes of Conor Bradley, Jarrel Quansah, Endo and Curtis Jones have barely featured this season. There was a bit of rust from some which is totally understandable given the lack of football.
In years gone by I have viewed the Coca Cola/Carling/Capital One/Carabao Cup as a massive inconvenience, extra games where we don’t need them. It would be easy to have that outlook this season in particular, given the absolute over-saturation of the Champions League and the extra games that brings. However, this competition is a great chance to get the kids their game time and make sure our squad players or players who aren’t currently in the first team get their football. Jurgen took this competition very seriously in his last three or four years and it looks like Slot is going to look to maintain that momentum.
The first twenty minutes was a nothing event, we started off reasonably well and controlled the ball but created nothing of note bar a few set pieces. Kostas does throw a lovely ball in but West Ham stood firm. The direction of the game then actually changed, with West Ham really on the front foot without creating much. Danny Ings did have the ball in the net but it failed the eye test immediately and as it turns out he had just gone too soon. I like Danny Ings. It’s so easy to forget he played for us sometimes. He would have been a good signing had he not got injured the way he did I reckon. We still made a tidy profit from him as well.
We didn’t heed this warning however, as we were behind not long after. And it was about as scruffy as it gets. We failed to clear a corner either first or second phase, the ball pinged around and Endo was frankly unlucky as his attempt to clear the ball out wide hit Quansah on the shin and dribbled into the net in front of the Kop. It looked comical and inept and that would be fair – but it was unlucky. Endo did well to get in there and I think he's trying to put it out for a throw in near the corner flag. But ho hum.
The annoying habit of falling behind that is endemic in the last two years continues then. It was all a bit disjointed but that goal actually sparked us into life. We were level inside of five minutes. Some lovely tight passing down the left saw Jota thread the ball through to free up Gakpo. He drove into the box and lofted it back post to Chiesa, who hit his shot into the floor. However, as Jota does, he got on his bike and was on the right end of the bobble, showing good awareness and movement to get on the end of Chiesa’s effort and nod it past Fabianski. 1-1 and game on, Jota signalling the intent by going to get the ball from the net.
Let’s skip to the second half – ultimately it was quite eventful, which the rest of the first half was not. Apparently Lopetegui hurt his calf in one of his several hissy fits with the referee in the second half. West Ham’s string of penalty appeals in the second half verged from ridiculous to Evertonian. We can cite the absence of VAR all we want (very enjoyable by the way) but none of these decisions wouldn’t have been overturned anyway, because they weren’t penalties! At best the appeals were vexatious – at worse they would have made Goodison’s finest blush with…. In fact no, that’s a bit far.
The first appeal was for handball against Gomez who had his hands by his side. Never a penalty ever, get in the sea for even appealing. Immediately, we break with good work from Jones who received the ball back and put it on a plate for Jota to sidefoot into the corner. Fabianski will probably be disappointed with himself having got his hand to it but he didn’t get enough on it to keep it out. Squawking from West Ham about the fictional handball but it was a lovely finish and I hope it will gives Jones some confidence as he hasn’t played a lot this season. When he moves the ball quickly, he is potentially a very big asset.
We did look like we might be in the mood to go on and score again but come the hour, come the changes. On came Mo and Mac Allister, off came the Slotter and Chiesa. Chiesa didn’t do anything right or wrong, it all feels a bit like building up his fitness at the moment. Also, Paqueta and Antonio emerged from the bench for the visitors. Antonio is past his peak but he is a nuisance and West Ham actually made their way back into the game. There was a string of ridiculous penalty appeals as already mentioned, the referee was rightly having none of it.
Kelleher made a couple of sharp saves at 2-1, two crucial interventions within a few seconds of each other. Kilman, somehow, missed from six yards and that was your lot. There was another crazy penalty “injustice” that saw that Lopetegui loser get a booking and that was as good as it got for West Ham. Fabianski beat away a piledriver from Gakpo too, making a save he should.
Salah was johnny on the spot with a smart, crisp finish from a Bradley cutback that saw a Mac Allister shot blocked. You can’t keep Mo out of the action can you? Even in a routine League Cup home win he is after goals, after records, after accolades. A goalscoring machine.
West Ham’s sense of injustice was only added to when Edson Alvarez was sent off for a second yellow for a frankly ridiculous challenge considering he was on a booking. Absolutely bonkers tackle and off he went.
What I liked after this was our pursuit for more goals. I am all for more control in games but this was an opportunity to fill our boots and we did. We got Morton on the field (and he has filled out since his last Anfield appearance) and Robertson came on for Tsimikas. It would have been easy for us to just knock the ball around given the situation but no, we wanted more and we got more. Gakpo was rewarded for his excellent recent form with a late double, firstly firing home from outside the box with a low shot to Fabianski’s right.
Even after that, we pushed forward and I fancied we might score another. Gakpo duly obliged with a deflected drive, spinning the ball away from Fabianski to his left. This more aggressive, more direct, more assertive Cody Gakpo is proving to be a massive asset. More of the same, please.
So, a comprehensive and comfortable win. Our grip on the Rumbelows Cup is safe for now but away to Brighton is a massive task for us given our recent record there. However, if we turn up in the kind of mood we were for big chunks of that second half then Brighton will struggle to contain us. I usually resent all Premier League ties, especially when Man City usually draw the ghost of Rushton and Diamonds in the knockout competitions. But a trip to the AMEX will actually be a good test for us, the squad and help us to continue to assess where we are at in this transformative season.
Great stuff all round, and I am sure Lopetegui will be along in a minute to remonstrate with my Star Man award. The bell.
Who is that Star Man? You might know already if you read the top banner, but if not then I'll reveal it here. It could easily have been Jota for his two goals, I thought Endo played well, Jones was classy and skilful. But my shout here is Gakpo. He was lively throughout and looks a million percent more of a player than he did last season.
Team: Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Gomez, Tsimikas (Robertson); Endo (Morton), Jones; Chiesa (Salah), Jota (Mac Allister), Nunez, Gakpo:
Recommended Comments