Last year, I was at The LS for our fourth match. Wolves. In block 214, there was palpable anxiety about losing our fourth match in a row to start the season. With tougher matches ahead, the prospect of losing seven straight was staring us in the face. Even in the final season at Upton Park we had those two August losses at home to Leicester and Bournemouth (Maiga scored against the Cherries. Just throwing that in there for effect). Then there was the amazing story of Adebeyor simply not showing up for a planned medical. The August spiral towards the abyss was on again in full force.
That’s what these four points mean. Today was more about curiosity and a bit of excitement. Not the normal Fear & Relief cocktail that is often served up to begin a new campaign. Sure, a loss to a newly promoted side would shock only a few. Pukki netting at least a brace? Of course. Lanzini rupturing his appendix trying a Rabona the day after his new contract is confirmed? Shrug them shoulders. Except nothing went wrong, and a whole lot went right.
The visitors started the match brightly. They pressed high up the pitch, forced West Ham to make quicker and less accurate passes than they obviously wanted to. Leitner and Aarons in particular looked lively. And I have to say, I preferred the purple to those neon yellow kits. West Ham, on the other hand, chased the ball rather aimlessly and without purpose. Not the beginning the natives would have wanted.
Despite the sluggish start, the first chance of the half belonged to West Ham. Lanzini got on the ball near the penalty spot and touched it to Yarmolenko on the right. The Ukrainian tried to draw a penalty by going down after trying to get the ball back to Lanzini, but the referee had none of it. West Ham then won their first corner of the afternoon but Lanzini’s delivery went over everyone. A minute later Anderson was sent in with a good through ball by Yarmolenko, but a key tackle by Zimmerman deflected Anderson’s shot out for a corner. Haller may have a word with his new teammate as he was rather open in the center of the eighteen yard box.
As someone who has watched a lot of Ice Hockey in my life, I’m used to seeing a hard challenge on a player answered by an even harder challenge later on against the original perpetrator. So when Haller went in hard on Zimmerman in the 21st minute for what should have been a yellow card offense, I had visions of some Norwich substitute plowing into our record signing sometime later in the match. The pain of that challenge manifested itself a few minutes later when Masuaku broke down the left and sent a low cross to Haller, who was steaming down the center. Zimmerman could not keep up, showing the effects of Haller minutes earlier. For years we have lacked a true, mobile number nine who can get on the end of those. Not anymore it seems. Haller guided it past Krul.
West Ham 1
Norwich 0
Norwich came inches away from an equalizer in the 31st minute. Aarons was sent down the right with a terrific looping pass from Trybull. After beating Masuaku, Aarons sent a cross right into the path of Cantwell. But the ball was just behind the young Englishman and his header went over the bar.
I am a big fan of Anderson. Whenever he gets on the ball with any space around him, you give the match your full attention. But he still needs that voice in his head reminding him that this is the Premier League, and you don’t often get time to consider your options. So when he beat the hobbled Zimmerman in the 37th minute and went to the races into the box, his decision to hold his run, not shoot, and look at the scenery doomed what could have been a solid shout for a second goal.
Halftime
West Ham 1
Norwich 0
The second half began with fits and starts. A good run by Lanzini that was not followed up by any run at all from Haller, and a shot off the bar by Cantwell that was eventually flagged offside.
Yarmolenko is often slagged off on social media. But at the end of the day he is a skillful player, and with all skillful players that return from long term injuries they need both physical rehabilitation and a run of games. In the 55th and 56th minute, we got our first glimpses of what that skill can bring to the table. First, Noble sent a pass over the Norwich defense that Yarmolenko one timed off the post. Just when the worry that such a missed opportunity would come back to haunt us, he got another. It started with a terrible back pass from Cantwell that Yarmolenko latched onto. He passed to Noble, who then tried to find Haller in the box. That pass was deflected back into the path of Yarmolenko. He must have liked the feel of his volley moments earlier, so he tried it again and the home side doubled their lead. The extra treat came right afterward when he ran to the bench to thank the West Ham physio team. Possibly the first time I’ve ever seen that happen.
West Ham 2
Norwich 0
West Ham, through a careless header by Fredericks, could have invited serious stress in the 67th minute when the young right back gave the ball right to Pukki. The man with five goals to his name could only muster a soft shot right into the waiting arms of Fabianski. Moments later Fredericks almost atoned when he tested Krul with a shot from a tight angle that was palmed away for a corner. The ensuing set piece landed on the skull of Diop but his shot was cleared off the line by Amadou.
Norwich almost got back into the match in the 76th minute when Lewis beat Fredericks on the left and sent a ball over a diving Fabianski to Aarons on the right. But Ogbonna was there to cover, giving Fabianski the time needed to get back into position. It eventually led to a Norwich corner, but Masuaku did his job well and cleared the ball from danger.
It should have been a three goal lead for the Hammers in the 77th minute when Lanzini was the recipient of a cross instead of the delivery man. Masuaku found the Argentine in the center of the box, but Krul made a brilliant save and put ball over the bar for a corner. Moments later it was again Krul to the rescue with a double save on Anderson and then Haller. Minutes after that Anderson did a bit of magic to send Haller into the box, but a clumsy challenge from Trybull that should have resulted in a penalty was waved off. Then it was Snodgrass with a low shot that Krul saved with his leg. The next wave came from a header by Diop, but that didn’t beat Krul either.
The third goal did not come, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.
Pukki did what he could in the 90th minute when he tried to re-direct a cross from Lewis, but his header was soft and easy pickings for Fabianski. Two minutes later McLean threaded a pass in between Ogbonna and Masuaku that Drmic got his foot on. Fabianski was livid. Nine times out of ten he scores. Not today.
Final Score
West Ham 2
Norwich 0
Deep breath. And another. One more.
Seven points from our opening four matches is about as good as any reasonable West Ham supporter could have hoped for. The operative word there is reasonable. Yet as good as the point tally is, it’s seeing West Ham play well and win the kind of matches we so often disappoint in. Today could have been 5-0. Easily, in fact. From a neutral’s perspective his performance in the second half could have earned Krul the Man Of The Match. Anderson was fantastic, Haller physical and clinical, Lanzini silky smooth, Masuaku had perhaps his best match in Claret and Blue, and the Diop – Ogbonna partnership looked sharp.
Other than expressing frustration that there is no match next week when I’m over for work, I really don’t know what else to say. I’m not equipped for such positivity.
I’m going to do some yard work to clear my head.