Were proof ever needed of West Ham’s ruthless efficiency at both ends of the pitch, one statistic provides bountiful evidence that David Moyes has his team firing on all cylinders.
Maps might ordinarily raise eyebrows for drawing out demonstrative points over West Ham’s capabilities, but an expected goal (xG) chart from yesterday’s 2-1 win over London rivals Tottenham exemplified the Irons’ prowess.
Written from a Spurs fan’s perspective, the Lilywhites were described as ‘dysfunctional’ when compared to the doggedness of the Hammers, but the accompanying analysis was nothing short of resonant.
Spurs dominated in terms of shots and possession but could not break the deadlock despite Lucas Moura’s best efforts to retrieve the deficit on the scoreboard. Indeed, despite Spurs’ continual pressure to prise open the Irons, West Ham held firm and the xG figures only corroborate that.
With Spurs controlling the tempo, the data shows they could not make it count; they matched their rivals in terms of shots on target but were ultimately passive and wasteful in proportion to the actual quality of their chances in front of goal. Conversely, the few chances West Ham had were enough to punish Spurs.
The xG between the two teams was remarkably similar, with the indexes standing at 1.16 for the Irons against Spurs’ 1.19, with just 0.03 expected goals separating the two sides.
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That ultimately confirms that the superficial dominance of Spurs was wasted, and it is just as great a testament to West Ham proving deadly against their rivals while their defence held firm.
It is unsurprising that the BBC awarded their man of the match award to the defensively-minded Tomas Soucek – a man whose hard-working approach exemplifies the transformation of the squad under Moyes.
