West Ham United have gained a lot of confidence ever since their UEFA Conference League 2022-23 triumph. The Hammers lost their club captain, Declan Rice, but brought in a few big names to fill the gaps and strengthen the team further. This season, Moyes and his men are playing in the UEFA Europa League. Some of the new signings have brought in a lot of expectations, and the players are looking to add yet another title to the club’s history.
The Hammers made a decent start to the 2023-24 season. However, the team has failed to show the same consistency in the last few games and is showing signs of struggle. Three back-to-back wins in all competitions were followed by a winless run of four games. Here is a look at what is going wrong with the Hammers.
Inconsistency in attack
West Ham United have a few new names in the attack. These players are capable enough to break through any defence. The Hammers average 1.83 goals per match in the current season. They averaged two goals per match, but the current form has brought down the average. In the last four games, Moyes’ men have scored four times at a rate of one goal per match.
The shot average has dropped to 11.4 per match for the current season. This is because West Ham have averaged 10 shots per match in the last four games. By looking at the shot map, we can observe that the players have missed a lot of clear-cut chances from the edge of the six-yard box. These misses have been costly, and West Ham have only collected one point in the last three Premier League games.
West Ham United faced Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Olympiacos and Everton in the last four matches. A 2-2 draw against the Magpies was followed by a 4-1 hammering against Aston Villa. Olympiacos registered a 2-1 win in the Europa League and Everton shocked the home team with a 1-0 win. The above viz shows that chances were created from both flanks in these four matches.
Defensive struggles
The defence has been one of the reasons behind this poor run. West Ham United have failed to keep a clean sheet in these four games and conceded nine goals. Despite winning a decent number of duels, the team has given away silly fouls and drawn pressure. Earlier, the team averaged less than 10 fouls per match. In the last four matches, the average number of fouls has gone up to 12, and they have even conceded a penalty.
The Hammers have conceded goals from a close range in these four matches. They have allowed the opposition to get into scoring areas and have paid the consequences.
West Ham United needs to win points in the coming games and register three points. David Moyes and his men have a huge task on their hands.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
