This had appeared sure to be a serene afternoon for West Ham but it ended up taking a heavy toll. The inconvenience of a replay, hugely deserved by a Bristol City side that grew in bravery and confidence, is one thing but David Moyes’s side ended the match bruised and battered. The sight of Jarrod Bowen being helped across the pitch at full-time after receiving treatment for an ankle problem would have sent chills through their supporters and it was far from the first discomfort to befall them.
Moyes had picked his strongest available team to face the Robins, who are 11th in the Championship, and seemed to have been vindicated when Bowen scored in the fourth minute. They seemed ready to turn the screw but nothing went right from there. By half-time Lucas Paquetá and Konstantinos Mavropanos had been forced off with injuries and the Brazilian’s loss, in particular, laid bare a lack of quality in reserve that was ultimately exploited.
