West Ham United registered their first win of this new Premier League campaign as they thrashed Watford 3-1 at the Vicarage Road this afternoon.
The Hammers had an excellent start to the game after Manuel Lanzini was taken down by Abdoulaye Doucoure inside the first couple of minutes. The referee pointed to the spot, which was later confirmed by VAR. Mark Noble made no mistake converting the penalty and giving his team an early lead. However, Watford were quick to bounce back and deservedly pulled things back through Andre Gray in the 17th minute.
The hosts asserted a lot of pressure to the West Ham defence throughout the rest of the first half. But, a second-half brace from big-money signing Sebastian Haller saw the Hammers seal all three points. And here is how Manuel Pellegrini’s men fared in their game against Watford.
Lukasz Fabianski 7
Looked nervy at times but did well to clear out any set-piece dangers. He is indeed one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League when it comes to set-pieces. Was beaten by Gray for Watford’s only goal of the game.
Ryan Fredericks 7.5
Did well to address West Ham’s defensive shortcomings on the right flank. As a result, he stayed back most of the time and fended off the threat provided by Gerard Deulofeu. An impressive defensive display from the former Fulham man.
Issa Diop 8
Made a host of crucial tackles and blocks to prevent Watford from scoring the second goal. His work ethic was incredible, and the youngster provided very little time on the ball to the likes of Gray and Deulofeu.
Angelo Ogbonna 6.5
Complemented Diop in the defensive half. But, one would expect better marking when Gray made a comfortable run in behind the defence for the equaliser.
Arthur Masuaku 7
Had a miserable first-half, dealing with the threat of Will Hughes on the left-flank. Couldn’t have done much for the Gray run but the defender did improve a lot in the second half. His willingness to win the ball back for his team epitomised West Ham’s courage after the restart.
Declan Rice 7.5
Provided the necessary security to the backline, winning a host of tackles and intercepting a few key passes. His positional awareness is what made him such an effective holding midfielder against Watford this afternoon.
Mark Noble 7
Nothing special after scoring the penalty early on in the game. He did, however, thread in some useful passes in the final third and kept the midfield ticking. Should have done more defensively.
Andriy Yarmolenko 5
A dismal performance from the Ukrainian, who was barely involved in the first-half. Also looked uncomfortable taking on defenders and lost possession, which almost led to Watford scoring the second one in the first half.
Manuel Lanzini 7.5
Won the foul that led to the penalty early on. But most importantly, the Argentine showed great maturity by operating in a deeper role when West Ham were leading in the second half. His composure on the ball also helped the Hammers retain possession.
Felipe Anderson 6.5
Tried to make an impact in the game but struggled to conjure up anything substantial. He was, however, perhaps the most active attacker for West Ham.
Sebastien Haller 9
Showed precisely why he could be a great coup for West Ham with an absolutely stunning performance. The Frenchman’s hold-up play was outstanding while his ability to be at the right place at the right time helped him snatch two goals this afternoon.
SUBSTITUTES
Michail Antonio 7
Much more effective than Yarmolenko as he was at least lively when dealing with the Watford defence. He does, however, need to be more composed on the ball and less clumsy with his runs.
Pablo Fornals N/A
Replaced Anderson in the 78th minute but had very little time to make any substantial impact.
Carlos Sanchez N/A
An 87th-minute replacement for Lanzini.
