West Ham United remain without a point or a goal in their Premier League campaign following their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The Hammers are one of only three sides to have played two games in England’s top-flight this term and are yet to pick up a point from either, with Taiwo Awoniyi's goal on the stroke of half-time enough to separate the two sides at the City Ground.
In an entertaining clash for the neutral, the Hammers thought they had opened the scoring towards the end of the first half when Said Benrahma's slotted from close range after being played through on goal by Declan Rice. However, VAR disallowed the goal after Michail Antonio fouled Orel Mangala in the build-up what would have been the Hammers' first goal of the season.
READ MORE: West Ham player ratings: Declan Rice's penalty miss and VAR costly in Nottingham Forest defeat
In the second half, Forest almost doubled their lead when Brennan Johnson raced through on goal and chipped it over Lukasz Fabianski, only for VAR to disallow the goal, with Johnson fractionally offside.
The Hammers then missed a huge second-half chance when VAR awarded them a penalty after Tomas Soucek’s shot was blocked by the hand of Scott McKenna. Declan Rice took the spot-kick, with Dean Henderson saving the effort low to his right.
As the Hammers remain in search of a first goal and first win of the season, here are five talking points from the Irons’ defeat to Steve Cooper’s side.
A tale of near misses
David Moyes and his side would hardly believe their luck, or lack of it, when chewing the fat of their defeat to Forest. The hosts started as the better side, but the Irons got better and closer to scoring as the game played out.
Benrahma's almost opener was against the run of play, but barring Awoniyi's late first half strike, almost all of the action from there on in was in favour of the Hammers.
Prior to his disallowed goal, Soucek forced a goal-line clearance when attempting to follow up the rebound. In the second half, another goal line clearance came late on when Kurt Zouma’s header from an Aaron Cresswell corner forced Neco Williams into an excellent last-ditch clearance.
On top of that, the Hammers found the woodwork twice in the second half from distance, first though Pablo Fornals' long range strike, then via a Benrahma free-kick, both of which found the underside of the bar and bounced on the line. Both metaphorically and physically, Moyes' men could scarcely have gotten closer to scoring without doing so.
The VAR call over Benrahma's disallowed goal was the best way to sum up West Ham’s misfortunes in the tie. Forest were good and deserved something from the game, but a defeat was very harsh for West Ham, especially off the chances they had and how close they went on numerous occasions in the second half.
The need for a centre-back
For a second straight game, Ben Johnson was used at centre-back next to Kurt Zouma, with Nayef Aguerd (ankle), Craig Dawson (thigh) and Angelo Ogbonna (knee) all currently sidelined.
Against Manchester City on the opening weekend of the season, it may not have been a perfect performance, but for a young full-back playing out of position against one of the best attacking lines in world football, he certainly held his own.
It was by no means a terrible performance from Johnson in the same role against Forest, but he was less assured and had more problems to solve, having a hand in the two times the hosts found a way past Lukasz Fabianski.
In the first half, Jesse Lingard’s scuffed shot was cleared by Johnson, but straight into Awoniyi as the ex-Liverpool man got the deciding goal in rather fortuitous circumstances. After the break, Johnson’s under-hit clearance led to Mangala playing Brennan Johnson through on goal to score, only for VAR to adjudge Johnson as offside, and rightly so.
As a makeshift option, he is by no means disastrous, but there would be more solidity with either Dawson, Ogbonna or Aguerd back into the equation. On paper, they should not need to sign another centre-back, but with their current injuries, something is definitely needed, especially with a season that could quite easily be more than 50 games long again if they reach the group stages of the Europa Conference League.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Thilo Kehrer is someone the club have made an approach for. Whether it is him or someone else, a new signing is needed and soon, or hope that Dawson or Ogbonna is back available to soon to help soothe the current centre-back shortages.
Jarrod Bowen’s “fire”
For a second game running, Jarrod Bowen has not looked like getting back to his form of last season, or in fact anywhere near it, with last season’s top scorer taken off in the final 10 minutes in place of debutant Maxwel Cornet.
Last season, Bowen found himself among the best in the Premier League for goals and assists, one of only few players to reach double figures for both goals and assists in England’s top-flight, leading to links with the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.
However, in both games so far, Bowen has seemed way off his best and the form that got him a first England call-up last season. and the chants of "Bowen's on fire" from West Ham fans. All of the Hammers’ best chances of scoring did not involve him, with Benrahma, Fornals, Soucek, Rice and Zouma all more likely to get themselves on the scoresheet.
Maybe, the Viborg game will give him and others out of form a chance to get back to scoring ways and grow confidence, depending on how strong Moyes goes. Either way, a side bereft of goals need one of their most reliable finishers to get back at their best sooner rather than later.
Said Benrahma's run-out
Said Benrahma got a run out for the Hammers in Moyes' only change from the defeat with City, with him replacing Lanzini in the starting side and Pablo Fornals moving into a central role.
From an attacking perspective, he was Moyes' best outlet in the game, but still was unable to find the breakthrough, despite being close on two occasions. His disallowed goal was through no fault of his own, he stayed onside and finished well. However, Antonio’s foul led to other ideas.
The Algerian tested his luck once more with a second half free-kick and struck brilliantly, bouncing off the underside of the bar and off the line. The issue was, his decision making did let him down at times.
Where others tried to look up and create chances for others, Benrahma was rather shot happy, perhaps too much at times. Luck stopped him from not scoring, but perhaps on other occasions, he could have been more team-minded at the end of attacking moves.
Speaking after the defeat, Moyes side he liked Benrahma’s off the ball work, but felt he was one of a number of players to lack end product, something that summarises the entire side against Forest.
The introduction of Benrahma allowed Fornals to play centrally, but with Benrahma, Fornals and Cornet all competing for minutes on the left, it is becoming a crowded market. Promise was definitely shown by the Brentford man, but he will need more than that if he wants to keep his place on the left wing.
Penalty problems
For Rice, it was his third penalty taken for the Hammers and his second miss, having not found a way past Sam Johnstone against West Bromwich Albion two seasons ago.
Of last season’s penalties not including shootouts, the Hammers had seven spot-kicks, three taken by former captain Mark Noble, three by Manuel Lanzini (all scored) and one missed by Michail Antonio.
With Lanzini on the bench and Antonio missing last time out, Rice was the elected taker, seeing a rather tame effort denied by Dean Henderson. As club captain, Rice will undoubtedly be the best option in terms of character, but technically was Moyes right? At former club Hull City, Bowen scored four from six, while Antonio has scored two from three in his career.
In his career, Benrahma has a perfect record from seven spot-kicks. Soucek has scored 10 from 13, including scoring one against Inter Milan in the Champions League.
Lanzini was about to come into the fray and had he been introduced a few minutes earlier, he may well have taken the penalty, but should the Hammers find themselves in the position again with Lanzini on the bench, Bowen, Soucek, Antonio and Benrahma may all prove to be better options from 12 yards than Rice was.
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