West Ham United opened their 2022/23 Premier League campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Erling Haaland scored goals either side of half-time on his Premier League debut, the first from the penalty spot and the second on a cutting counter attack to seal the Hammers' defeat, with their pre-match injury woes worsening during the loss to Pep Guardiola’s side. Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was forced off after colliding with Haaland in the first half, before his replacement Alphonse Areola fouled the Norwegian minutes later to win the penalty for the opening goal.
As the Hammers' season started with a fairly flat showing in defeat to the six-time Premier League champions, here are the major talking points from the first league game of the season.
READ MORE: Every word David Moyes said on West Ham's Man City loss, Erling Haaland, Issa Diop and injuries
New signings still needed as all five await starts
West Ham have spent around £100million already in the summer transfer window, but all five of the club’s acquisitions were all out of the starting line-up for various reasons against the Sky Blues. Centre-back Nayef Aguerd (knee) was out injured, winger Maxwel Cornet was signed too late, while goalkeeper Areola, midfielder Flynn Downes and striker Gianluca Scamacca could only make the bench.
While five signings have been made, only 18 of the 20-man matchday squad were senior players, with young prospects Armstrong Oko-Flex and Harrison Ashby making up the squad. Midfielder Conor Coventry and goalkeeper Darren Randolph also made the bench, highlighting the need for more reinforcements.
Areola was signed as back-up and primarily to play in cup games, but found himself playing more than an hour following Fabianski’s collision with Haaland. Within minutes, he brought down City’s new No.9 leading to him opening the scoring, although he could not do much about the second goal.
Scamacca is some way off full fitness after no pre-season games and being behind on training after returning from international duty and moving to the Hammers shortly after, but was still introduced for the last 33 minutes. Downes also made his debut and while he is currently first reserve to Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek in midfield, his signing is one that is seen as a long-term investment.
Cornet’s arrival will boost the squad from this coming week onwards but with Dawson, Ogbonna and Aguerd sidelined and Diop unlikely to return to the squad, Cornet’s arrival is still likely to lead an injury-hit squad requiring academy help at Nottingham Forest next weekend, especially after Lukasz Fabianski’s injury.
In his pre-match press conference and before and after the defeat, Moyes made it clear that more signings were required, and the injury issues at centre-back and the academy presence on the bench only extenuate that demand further.
Injury crisis worsens
As well as Dawson, Aguerd and Ogbonna - although the latter is edging closer to a return - the injury list grew during the first half when Fabianski was forced off shortly before the half hour mark. The Polish stopped did not have too many saves to make, but was commanding in the box and set a real tone for the Hammers' back line in dealing with City’s fierce attack.
When he came off, Areola bought Haaland down within minutes when the Norwegian went clear through on goal, with Haaland then opening the scoring from the spot. From there, the Hammers' task was always going to be uphill to get a result, but Areola did not do much wrong and could hardly be blamed when Haaland was put through on goal for his second strike.
Moyes is not too concerned by Fabianski’s injury but it is another blow that cannot be understated. Areola will have to be ready to fill in again against Nottingham Forest, unless the club’s first-choice stopper is back sooner than expected.
Issa’s insult to injuries
The Hammers have five centre-backs at present and Zouma remains the only one fit and available, with Dawson, Aguerd and Ogbonna sidelined. However, what makes that worse is the situation surrounding Frenchman Issa Diop.
Moyes has said that Diop is not injured but has not made himself available to play in recent matches. The Scottish boss added that he does not know if the Frenchman, who has been linked with interest from Fulham, will leave the club or not this summer.
Had he not expressed a wish not to play, he would have been a shoe-in to start alongside Zouma in the heart of defence and solve Moyes’ centre-back crisis.
While West Ham hardly did much to trouble City, it would be wrong say they lacked commitment or fight, something which Diop does not seem to have right now after making himself unavailable right when Moyes needed him most.
Gianluca Scamacca's debut
In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Moyes said it would be unlikely that Scamacca would be involved against City. So it was a surprise to not only see him play, but also get a run out for 33 minutes to replace Michail Antonio, who had carried a knock for the second third of the tie.
With City dominating the affair, it was tough for Scamacca to really play at his best, especially after a largely non-existent pre-season, but when the £30.5million man was introduced, he gave everyone on and off the pitch a lift.
Winning a couple of flick-on headers and battling for the ball, he gave City’s back line something to think about and although Antonio flashed a header over the bar and drew a couple of fouls out of Ruben Dias, there was more rhythm in attack and fluency with Scamacca on the pitch.
He also steered a brilliant header to force a good save from Ederson off a Vladimir Coufal cross. Although it was later adjudged to be offside, it was a sign of encouragement and the presence the 23-year-old can bring into attack.
It may be some time before the former Sassuolo man is really fit and firing, but off a first glimpse against a side likely to retain their Premier League title, there was plenty to like.
Ben Johnson’s makeshift role
What Moyes could take some promise from is Ben Johnson’s performance, with the young full-back featuring centrally alongside Zouma due to the club’s centre-back crisis.
In fairness to Johnson, while Haaland did get away from him and Declan Rice too easily for the opening goal, barring that, Johnson could not really be criticised all that much, making six of 17 clearances for the Hammers in the tie.
Of course, it is not ideal playing Johnson centrally in a back four, but he proved on a couple of occasions that he can hold his own in the role, in particular when cutting out a crucial counter attack that saw former Borussia Dortmund duo Ilkay Gundogan and Haaland almost combine to really put the Hammers to the sword.
The hope will be that the defensive issue is sorted somewhat before the trip to the City Ground and it is not every week that West Ham will face a team of City’s attacking prowess, but Johnson showed he is capable when called on in need circumstances.
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