Hammers climb to 10th in the table with 5th home win in all competitions
I hope this post finds everyone safe and well.
Summer feels like a distant memory despite the warm weather, as the nights close in early and the games have been coming thick and fast for the Hammers. It’s a bit like the half term holiday, before you blink you’re back to work and you feel like you have even had a rest. Particularly true for me given the amount of half jobs the builder left for us to do. Luckily I’m a bit handy with home DIY and have been filling, sanding and painting away through any spare time I’ve had. Back to work for a rest!
But no rest for the team after weekly Thursday games in the Europa Conference League and then players tying their laces again on the weekend, but this is what it’s like if we want to maintain our European tour. Now we have Monday’s match under our belts, then Thursday against Silkeborg and Man Utd on Sunday. A tough week with more to come in November. No wonder managers are complaining about the fixture list.
Do we have enough depth in the squad to cope with such a run on fixtures? So far so good with our European form starting to spread into the Premier League and a healthy mid table placing. Will this form carrying on so we can rise further up the League? Man Utd will certain be a litmus test on how well we are doing as a squad.
To the match and Bournemouth did not really provide a real test for the team. The worry though is the lack of goals from open play and it was Benni who bagged another goal through a penalty shout after a VAR review of a potential hand ball. Decisions, it seems, are going our way and provide evidence that overall across the season we get an even shout of calls for and against us. Someone must have the stats on that.
There was also some controversy about Kurt Zouma’s headed goal just before half time with the Cherries complaining that the ball touched Thilo Kehrer in the build up. Former Hammer, Gary O’Neil received a booking for challenging referee David Coote as the teams went off at half time. We know how it feels but after a review it was decided that Lehrer’s touch as accidental.
A good time to go 1-0 and it was a reflection of the match, with the Hammers dominating and the Cherries not really creating much to challenge Fabianski, although Solanke had his chance, but twisted his ankle and was substituted at half time.
Our dominance was rewarded, and so was Benrahma for his industry throughout the match, with a penalty that Beni put away to secure a 2-0 win and a much needed boost for the team going in to Thursdays match against Silkeborg to secure top spot in Group B.
Such a different feel around the club with more depth in the squad now we have our new signings featuring regularly and options on the bench to add attacking threat or defensive back up when we need to secure the result. We are definitely blowing those pretty bubbles in the air, let’s hope they keep flying high.
Enjoy the photos for the match
Take care
Dawud
From the Stands 