West Ham have delayed contract talks with manager David Moyes, 60, as the club focuses on ending a seven-game winless streak in all competitions. (Mail), external
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James Jones
Fan writer
One of the big talking points to have emerged from West Ham's gutless performance against Arsenal on Sunday was the thousands of fans who opted to leave the ground at half-time.
It essentially stems from a very misleading aerial shot of fans gathered outside the ground on the stroke of half-time, which does not include the context that the majority of those fans were enjoying their half-time beers in the outside bar area and not actually heading towards Stratford station.
It will have been the only thing they were able to enjoy during their time at London Stadium on Sunday, yet it is being made out that they lack loyalty and are accused of not getting behind the team.
The narrative that fans leaving games early simply lack any kind of loyalty toward their team is bizarre. Surely, their loyalty should be measured by the hard-earned money they have spent on the ticket and their regular attendance at matches. Instead, it seems there is a large percentage of fans - even pundits - who believe a fan's loyalty is only measured on their ability to sit games out for an entire 90 minutes regardless of what they are seeing in front of them.
Losing 4-0 at half-time to a London rival is bad enough, but that is not the only reason fans decided they had seen enough on Sunday. West Ham are without a win in 2024, have failed to beat Championship side Bristol City over two games in the FA Cup and have lost 5-0, 5-1, 3-0 and now 6-0 in the past two months. The club failed to build on a strong first half of the season by weakening the squad in January instead of strengthening it.
The style of play being served by David Moyes is not enjoyable and the team has seemingly lost its identity as a result.
In exchange for their money, fans expect effort, desire and entertainment in return - win, lose or draw. On Sunday, West Ham fans got the complete opposite.
That is why they left early. Fair play to them.
James Jones can be found at We Are West Ham, external
Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesAfter losing 5-0 to Fulham at Craven Cottage in December, West Ham manager David Moyes said there was "no excuse" for the result.
The response was emphatic. The Hammers won four out of their next five games - beating Bundesliga side Freiburg 2-0 in the Europa League, dismantling Wolves 3-0 and recording impressive 2-0 wins at home to Manchester United and away at Arsenal.
The outlier was another five goals shipped at Anfield, as they lost 5-1 in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
In those five matches, Jarrod Bowen contributed directly to five goals - scoring three himself and assisting two more - while playing a key role in getting Moyes' side back on track.
Now, after the 6-0 debacle in the reverse fixture at home to Arsenal on Sunday, West Ham desperately need a response from the team, and in particularly their main man, once more.
Since that win at Emirates Stadium, Bowen has not scored or assisted in any of the five games he has played in - culminating in Sunday's effective no-show. West Ham have not won any of these games.
The correlation between his output and the team's struggles is clear, and only exacerbated without the creative influence of the injured Lucas Paqueta or the threat of Mohammed Kudus who has struggled to get up speed since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations three matches ago.
The sight of fans streaming out of the London Stadium before half-time in what became the Hammers' heaviest home Premier League defeat and joint-heaviest of all time will worry Moyes, who remains under fire from big sections of the fanbase.
The boss has to see the next four Premier League games, all against sides currently in the bottom seven, as an opportunity to kickstart a season threatening to fade away.
Three of these come before the Hammers continue their Europa League campaign at the last-16 stage. The response to this latest humiliation could define West Ham's season.
Image source, ReutersWest Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse said "no words could rectify the performance" offered by the Hammers in their 6-0 home defeat by Arsenal.
Ward-Prowse told West Ham's club media: "We can all accept losing a game, that happens in football, but I think the way you lose is important and the most disappointing thing is the way we lost the game.
"I don't feel like we competed anywhere near the level you need to in the Premier League.
"They're a top team who are challenging for the title, but I think they showed us the level and the detail that you need to win games."
The former Southampton captain added: "I can stand here and give a message and try to say something, but I've been a football fan myself and no words could rectify the performance.
"I think it's all about showing, competing, and giving a bit more than what we did. I can stand here and say something, but I know as a fan you want to see something on the pitch."
We asked you for your thoughts on Sunday's Premier League match between West Ham and Arsenal
Here are some of your comments:
West Ham fans
Paul: Let's just say, it was expected. Now perhaps the board will finally make the right decision and replace an ailing manager, whose tactics are old fashioned and easy to read. If they are going to rely on soaking up the punishment to break and score, then they need a defence capable of doing just that. I'm afraid the buck stops here. Changes must come.
Tim: Everything you need to know about West Ham's tactics, gameplan and management philosophy can be encapsulated in the 30 minutes either side of half-time. Poor with and without the ball and lacking leadership on and off the park. On the plus side, we have avoided relegation this season. Next year I'm not so sure about, unless there are significant changes.
Gibbo: Unacceptable and humiliating. We were passive and let Arsenal do whatever they wanted. No leadership, poor defending and no will to go forward. We gave the ball away far too cheaply and appeared to give up after the first goal. The players should shoulder the responsibility and Mr Moyes, you need to learn to adapt and occasionally play on the front foot.
Barney: This type of thrashing has been on the cards all season. Moyes has had his day and needs to go now. The football West Ham are playing is painful to watch, even when we win. A younger man with fresh ideas is needed.
Arsenal fans
Eddie: Arsenal were at their brilliant best from start to finish in the game against the Hammers. They were very close to their best last week against Liverpool. Rice was man of the match in both games, he has been magnificent. Haters will say the opposition were poor, but they are wrong.
David: Difficult to find a fault. I thought the performance was excellent. West Ham didn't put up much of a fight. When Elneny becomes a goal threat, you know you are in trouble. My only gripe would be to perhaps push for a seventh, taking us past Manchester City on goals scored, before bringing on the bench players. In 1989 we won by goals scored, don't forget.
Geoff: Arsenal were really fluent today. With all the talk of needing another striker, our performance showed that we will do well with what we have. Having a false number nine gives us more control of the game. There were so many chances created. Arteta deserves a lot of credit.
Guy: What striker problems? We've got our most complete team in over a decade and are a really exciting prospect going forward. How has Arteta turned this around so quickly and boosted the goals per game with the same players? The difference in performances from before and after the break are night and day. We are going to have some great seasons coming up, if not this one.
Image source, ReutersFormer West Ham midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker believes Hammers boss David Moyes should be given time to "ride out" a poor spell of form and believes the club's players must shoulder the responsibility for Sunday's 6-0 loss at home to Arsenal.
West Ham have failed to win any of their seven matches in all competitions during 2024, leading to scrutiny on Moyes' position given he is out of contract at the end of the season.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after Sunday's defeat, Moyes highlighted the club's achievements during his second spell as manager, including winning the Europa Conference League last season.
Reo-Coker told the Football Daily podcast: "David made a great point at the end [of his interview] to say 'this was where the club was when I took over and this is what we've achieved' and it's the reality of it.
"For me, with West Ham fans, they always think the grass is greener. I think you've got to let him ride it out.
"It was a bad day at the office for sure, but I don't really think there's too much blame you can give to David Moyes as a manager, because for me the players across the pitch just did not compete with Arsenal. And that's taking nothing away from Arsenal, because they were sensational from minute one to minute 90-plus.
"It's more worrying in the manner of how West Ham lost; without competing, no tackling, having players around the ball but nobody getting tight or putting tackles in. It's the manner of the defeat that makes it even worse. Sometimes you have to take the attention away from the manager and say 'this one's on the players'."
Former West Ham striker Tony Cottee was perplexed by the display, writing on X: "Absolute Shambles. Club will never change with this board. No investment in the window and a manager with five months left on his contract ! Players, tactics and the result were poor today. Where do we go from here, I don’t know?"
Listen to more reaction from Sunday's Premier League games on BBC Sounds
In the early weeks of David Moyes' second stint at London Stadium, West Ham went eight games without a win. The run was ended by a victory against Southampton that was preceded by a massive demonstration against the club's owners. West Ham subsequently lost their next three games, either side of the Covid-19 shutdown, before scrambling their way to safety.
Moyes often refers to this as evidence of the progress his side has made in the years since.
Two top-seven finishes, a Europa League semi-final and, memorably, a Europa Conference League triumph in Prague last June, will ensure Moyes' legacy will be a positive one, no matter what is happening in the here and now.
Speaking after the 6-0 home loss to Arsenal, Moyes did not sound like a man who was concerned about getting the sack. After all, talks over a new contract seemed to be progressing towards a positive conclusion and it is less than two months since West Ham were beating Manchester United at home and Arsenal away either side of Christmas.
But heavy defeats in the reverse fixtures, following on from an FA Cup elimination at Championship outfit Bristol City, with other big losses at Fulham and Liverpool fresh in the mind, certainly mean Moyes is under huge pressure.
Mark Chapman introduces highlights and analysis from Sunday's two Premier League matches.
If you missed Match of the Day 2, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.
Listen back to BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra match commentaries in full on BBC Sounds:
Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester United
Image source, Getty ImagesBy Tom Mallows, BBC Sport
Arsenal sent out a message to title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City with a record-breaking 6-0 victory against West Ham.
It was the Gunners' biggest Premier League away win and their joint-biggest margin of victory in an away league match since a 7-1 win over Aston Villa in December 1935.
It was the perfect follow-up to their 3-1 win over Liverpool last weekend and ensures they remain just two points behind Jurgen Klopp's side.
They also wiped out a six-goal deficit between themselves and Manchester City in second, meaning the champions remain above the Gunners only on goals scored in an increasingly tight three-way title race.
In contrast this was a deeply worrying performance for West Ham, who were perhaps fortunate not to lose by more goals.
It is their heaviest home Premier League defeat and joint-heaviest of all time, along with a 8-2 loss against Blackburn in 1963-64.
It also means they have failed to win any of their first seven games of a calendar year for the first time since 1997.
It will only increase the pressure on manager David Moyes, whose future is increasingly uncertain as he enters the final five months of his contract.
West Ham United boss David Moyes speaking to Sky Sports after the heavy defeat: "Yes, it certainly is [up there as one of the most disappointing days as West Ham manager]. It's one of those days which you don't want to happen very often, and it happened today.
"It's not been like my teams in the past. I'll take a bit of time and look at it and see if I can fix it. I take the responsibility, I pick the team, but the players have to take responsibility [as well].
"It's really important that we do those jobs really well. We will always try to be as well organised as we can be. Arsenal were very good, we must not take that away [from them], but we weren't good.
On some of the fans leaving the ground at half-time: "Yes, I'm a football supporter so I understand that. I don't think the direction the club is heading in is the wrong direction. It's grown greatly since we came in. We were fighting relegation, we're not fighting relegation today.
"We were playing one of the top teams in the country, who we took three points off earlier in the season, so I have to say the club is in a really good place.
"We have had our setbacks through the season and we will try and come back from this one the best we can."
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Tottenham midfielder Michael Brown speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live after the Hammers' 6-0 thumping against Arsenal: "If the club lead by example and give him a new contract, six weeks ago we would have said give him a new contract and sort it out. You can't always please every supporter.
"They haven't done that and, after a day like today, they have left it open. They have done it before to David Moyes, when they were in sixth. He should have said I'm going to go but thanks for everything.
"He loves the day-to-day job of it all and the work of it. Recruitment and planning is not done in the right way. This game today, it goes on for a long time. Why haven't they reacted before this? We haven't seen any clarity.
"The fans are speaking, the club are listening. The fans pay their money and are entitled to do what they want. Some of them, and enough of them, are making their voices heard."
Here are the key facts and figures following Sunday's game between West Ham United and Arsenal in the Premier League.
West Ham suffered their joint-heaviest home defeat in their league history. The only other time they lost by six goals in the top-flight came back in December 1963 against Blackburn Rovers (8-2).
Arsenal registered their joint-biggest margin of victory in an away league match and their first such win by six goals since December 1935 against Aston Villa (7-1). This was also their joint-biggest win in a London derby in league competition, with all three of those ending 6-0.
This was manager David Moyes’ 683rd game in the Premier League and the first time he had seen his side go in at half-time trailing by four goals.
Arsenal's Declan Rice assisted two goals in a Premier League game for the first time in his career, in what was his 228th game in the competition. It was also the first time he has been directly involved in three or more goals in a Premier League match.
The Gunners have scored the most goals from corners in the Premier League this season (11), with each of their last three being headers from centre-backs Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.
Gabriel Magalhaes has scored 14 goals for Arsenal in the Premier League, the most of any defender in the competition since the start of 2020-21.
Arsenal secured their biggest Premier League away win with a ruthless dismantling of West Ham to move back to within two points of leaders Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta's side stay third but are now behind second-placed Manchester City only on goals scored after wiping out a six-goal deficit on a stunning afternoon at London Stadium.
It is West Ham's heaviest home Premier League defeat and joint-heaviest of all time, alongside a 8-2 loss against Blackburn in 1963-64.
An extraordinary first half saw the Gunners race into a 4-0 lead, thanks to goals from William Saliba, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard, leaving the home side stunned.
Saka waltzed through a static Hammers defence to score his second after the break, before Declan Rice made it 6-0 with a rocket of a shot from distance against his former club.
Were you at the match or did you follow it from home?
How did you rate the side's performance, West Ham fans?
There are two games being played in the Premier League on Sunday and we will bring you every moment.
Follow all of the action and reaction here
All times are GMT
Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.
For this weekend's games, he takes on Sexy Beast star Stephen Moyer, who is a West Ham fan.
Sutton's prediction: 0-2
West Ham beat Arsenal at the Emirates at the end of December, when the Gunners huffed and puffed but just couldn't score.
The Hammers will have exactly the same approach at home, looking to sit in and counter while using their threat at set-pieces too.
This time, though, I think Arsenal will find a way through so they can carry on their celebrations.
Mikel Arteta's side will have a point to prove after what happened last time against West Ham, but their motivation here is more about the fact they have just put themselves in the thick of the title race, and they cannot afford to slip up.
West Ham last did the double over the Gunners in the 2006-07 season, and I think they will have to wait a bit longer to do it again.
Stephen's prediction: 2-1
I made some notes about this one, but all I put was "Arsenal are building and we are flat". We are playing Jarrod Bowen as our centre-forward. I like Bowen, but he's not a centre-forward. We are really strong in defence and midfield, but we have been crying out for a new striker and I can't believe we didn't bring one in in January.
So, at first, I just didn't see us doing it again after we beat them last time. Arteta is excellent and their win last weekend will have really lifted them. Again, though, they've got no-one up front and, the more I think about this, the more I have talked myself into backing us.
It's going to be a really tight game and I'm going to go for a 2-2 draw, although if Mohammed Kudus is fit and our boys in midfield start playing, we can hurt them.
You know what David Moyes is going to do - he's going to try to keep them out for 40 minutes, then try to nick one just before the break, and then defend for the next 45 minutes.
Who knows, we could win it... oh, go on then, let's go with that. I've got to do it, haven't I! 2-1.
David Moyes has been speaking to the media before West Ham's match against Arsenal on Sunday.
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Lucas Paqueta is still unavailable while Michail Antonio has returned to training but the forward has only trained for two days with the group: "It's great having him back training, but he’s still off it in terms of match fitness and being available."
The Hammers hope to capitalise on not having any midweek fixtures: "We’ve tried to give the players a bit of time training together, which we’ve needed because we’ve been off the boil a little. Getting them all back together has been good and hopefully we can build on it."
On taking on the Premier League's top teams: "We’ve beaten Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea this year. We’re giving the top teams a game and hopefully we can so the same on Sunday."
He is hoping to make it three wins in three games over Arsenal this season, after already beating them in the Carabao Cup and the reverse fixture: "If you’d given me one of the wins against that team I’d have been happy. Two is fabulous and if we can make it three, it would be fantastic."
He added: "It doesn’t make me feel more confident, but it makes me feel that we’ve shown we can take points off Arsenal. We’ve scored goals against them and that would be the key again to give ourselves a chance."
Moyes did however concede Arsenal have "some really top quality players" and boss Mikel Arteta has done well to make them a "top team" again: "We’ll have to work hard and play well again on Sunday."
Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences
Listen to commentary of West Ham v Arsenal from 14:00 GMT on Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Sport pundit Michael Brown has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.
Frank asked: Teams like Wolves who play without a number nine are doing very well. Are old fashioned strikers needed anymore? Has the game changed?
Michael replied: The game has changed. I think we've seen a different type of striker.
But look at Liverpool and Arsenal for example, people mention they still need a number nine, so people are saying it, but we're not necessarily seeing those old-fashioned nines.
Manchester City did so well with the false nine, but then Erling Haaland came in and scored 50 goals. They still needed him and they still wanted a number nine, but it depends on your playing style.
Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport pundit Michael Brown has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.
Russell asked: The January transfer window was very quiet compared to recent years, probably due to Financial Fair Play and points deduction worries. Do you think the days of teams spending hundreds of millions each window are over? And if so, what long-term effects might that have on the Premier League?
Michael replied: I think we are going to see different spreads of spending. We're not going to see hundreds of millions in the January window because people will be more conscious of spreading those payments and their budget will already be in place.
They will probably do a lot more of it before the season, so I think we are going to see less of the the excitement of the January window because of quite obvious reasons.
The business will be done in the summer and clubs will say ‘this is what we've got'. They might have to send others on the way out first, rather than just spending that money and getting rid of players later.
Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson
