Early in the 2015/16 Premier League, Manchester City were flying high league. City, then under Manuel Pellegrini, had won their first five league games of the season, all without conceding a single goal. So, when West Ham United, with Slaven Bilic as the manager, turned up at the Etihad, they were expected to get turned over. But the Hammers defied the script and left the Etihad with a 2-1 win against a team that, until then, looked like title favourites. The circumstances might be different this time, yet West Ham’s Champions League-chasing side can still be fancied to pull off a shock against Manchester City this weekend.
Manchester City up Next for Champions League Chasing West Ham
West Ham’s Poor Start to the Season
At the start of the season, West Ham looked like an outside bet for relegation. For many, the only reason they probably wouldn’t get relegated would be because of a predicted dismissal of David Moyes. Things weren’t looking good for the Hammers when skipper Mark Noble came out to voice his displeasure at the sale of youngster Grady Diangana to West Brom. It was an opinion backed by Declan Rice, another key player in the side.
A mutiny looked to be brewing. It’s not uncommon for players to be discontent at clubs. But when your captain and the longest-serving player takes to social media to voice his displeasure at the club, something is going wrong. So, when West Ham’s first game of the season was a 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle, the writing was on the wall. It was an uninspiring performance that made everyone grateful fans weren’t at the London Stadium. A second defeat followed, at Arsenal, and it seemed like a matter of ‘when’, and not ‘if’, things would come crumbling.
Recovery and Revival
But to West Ham’s credit, they didn’t fall apart. There was no sense of division or mutiny in the side. Instead, Moyes’ side buckled down and got to work. They followed those opening two defeats with two big wins – against Wolves and Leicester City – by an aggregate score of 7-0. Then came the remarkable comeback against Tottenham. In fact, they’ve only lost four games since the defeat to Arsenal in September; against Manchester United, Chelsea, and twice against Liverpool. Even Manchester City haven’t beaten them.
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West Ham are in fourth place, with Champions League hopes. Only runaway leaders Man City, and Chelsea – under new management – are in better form than they are. They’ve won three of their last four, and only five teams have better defensive records this term.
West Ham’s Champions League Hopes
West Ham in the Champions League would have seemed like something of a pipe dream earlier in the season. Even now, it still seems a bit unlikely. They are two points clear in fourth place, above Chelsea, and five above champions Liverpool. But those are significantly teams with stronger depths, and the sense is that Liverpool will recover at some point.
But West Ham hold the fourth spot at the moment, and in this season of uncertainty, shouldn’t be ruled out. They’re a very structured team, with an ability to find goals from any area of the side. The likes of Michail Antonio and Tomas Soucek have been standout performers, while right-back Vladimir Coufal has been a welcome addition. The January addition of Jesse Lingard, meanwhile, has also bolstered the side, with the new signing having scored three times already.
Vindication for Moyes, but Can They Beat City?
For David Moyes, this feels like a kind of vindication. The Scotsman hasn’t had the best of time since his brief spell at Manchester United in 2013/14. Managerial spells at Real Sociedad and Sunderland didn’t go great, and his second appointment at West Ham, back in late 2019, seemed uninspiring.
But Moyes has offered a reminder of his skills to organise and properly coach teams. He might not be Manchester United material, but he could easily deliver West Ham Champions League football.
Their opponents this weekend are Manchester City, a side that have won 19 games in a row. This may be the toughest challenge in West Ham’s Champions League push yet. But defeat shouldn’t dampen the mood, or derail a season that may end on a high. A positive result, however, and that pipe dream might start looking a bit more realistic.
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