Premier League
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 West Ham United 

Saturday, 16th September 2017
by David Fletcher

Following the highs of Monday night's home win against Huddersfield, West Ham fell straight back down to earth with a lacklustre goalless draw at the Hawthorns.

From early on, there was a sense of mediocrity and the lack of quality was becoming evident, especially in the final third. Both sides were content just playing clean and concise passes in their own half, reluctant to push forward and threaten the opposing defence.

This was only put in doubt when just shy of the half-hour mark, a flurry of opportunities went West Ham's way.

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Firstly, Michail Antonio went close after powering his way out of a tight spot only to force Ben Foster into a comfortable save off his long range effort.

Then moments later, Pedro Obiang provided the only bit of magic worthy of lifting the crowd off their seats when he spotted West Brom 'keeper Foster off his line and from nearly the halfway line, smacked the crossbar with a dipping strike.

In the second half it was more of the same and although the fans were in good voice, the players just didn't seem up to the challenge.

The game slightly livened up when James Collins, who had been suffering from a knock since the first half, went to ground holding his ankle and clutched the ball in his hands much to the dissmay of the West Brom faithful who made their intentions clear.

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Not long after, the fans were shouting again when Ben Foster came charging out of his goal only to clip Javier Hern??ndez who had clearly won the ball. Yellow was the verdict fron the refferee, but the away fans wanted more.

There would be little more action after that as both sides showed complacency to just play out for the point. Nonetheless, West Ham remain in the relegation zone after securing only four points from their opening six games.

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Player Ratings

Joe Hart
Barely had a save to make all day! However he did show good distribution which has been a factor that has been flimsy in his game the past few years.


Pablo Zabaleta
Getting forward quite often and tracking back well.


Aaron Cresswell
Becoming too predictable. Always looking to cross it with his left foot and when he did manage to do so, he often got it wrong.


Winston Reid
Always there when needed. Did make a few mistakes on a couple of occasions.


James Collins
Was playing with an injury for the majority of his spell on the pitch, but got the basics right.


Jose Fonte
Was solid in defence and enjoyed a lot of time on the ball making some good long passes.


Pedro Obiang
Came up wirh the only chance that made the game worth watching. Always knows what to do with the ball before receiving, often ending up in quick one-touch football that speeds the game up. A consistent performance from the Spaniard, but still letting sloppy mistakes creep into his game.


Cheikhou Kouyate
Quite a clumsy player but provides the strength and grit in midfield.


Michail Antonio
At times seemed like the only player interested in going forward and threatening the opposition. Always making the most of his raw strength and speed.


Javier Hernandez
When playing out of position it's ubderstandable to see that his performances have been below par in the last few games. Has quality on the ball and an eye for goal which should incite the manager to play him down the middle as opposed to on the wing.


Andy Carroll
Always winning flick ons but never has team mates running onto them. Was just a nuisance for defenders up front.



Substitutes

Marko Arnautovic
Created next to nothing and had no impact on the game. Must show his potential and the reason why the Club spent so much money on him.


Andre Ayew
Didn't get on the ball much when he was introduced but tried his best to make something happen.


Diafra Sakho
No comments.


Adrian San Miguel Del Castillo
Did not play.


Arthur Masuaku
Did not play.


Angelo Ogbonna
Did not play.


Declan Rice
Injured during warm-up.



Match Facts

West Ham United: Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Aaron Cresswell, Winston Reid, James Collins, Jose Fonte, Pedro Obiang, Cheikhou Kouyate, Michail Antonio, Javier Hernandez, Andy Carroll.

Goals: None.

Booked: None.

Sent off: None.

West Bromwich Albion: Foster; Hegazi, Evans, Dawson, Gibbs (Nyom 85’); Barry, Krychowiak, Phillips (McClean 76’), Morrison, Brunt (Robson-Kanu 72’); Rodriguez.

Subs not used: Myhill, McAuley, Yacob, Rondon.

Goals: .

Booked: Foster 66’, McClean 83’.

Sent off: None.

Referee: Kevin Friend.

Attendance: 24,942.

Man of the Match: Pedro Obiang.