West Ham 4 Nottingham Forest 0: Danny Ings bags double to open his account as Hammers goal-fest boosts relegation battle
WHERE on earth has this been?
West Ham, the team with just 19 goals in 23 games this campaign, smashing four past a resurgent Nottingham Forest at a ground where they had won just one of their last five.
The London Stadium did not know whether to laugh or cry. The joy at escaping the bottom three, for now. The bafflement and frustration at the apparent ease of this second half blitz.
Four goals in 15 minutes. FOUR. Remarkable when you consider they had just about netted four in their last four outings.
On his first start for the club, with injuries affecting his early impact since joining in a £15m move from Aston Villa on January 20, Danny Ings grabbed two in three minutes.
Declan Rice got in on the fun with a screamer soon after, and Michail Antonio completed the unlikeliest of routs in the 85th minute.
The shackles look to have been ripped off. For the sake of these loyal West Ham fans, let’s hope it stays that way in a crucial run-in.
When it was suggested in the build-up that his recent approach had been too cautious, Moyes agreed, admitting he had not enjoyed watching his own side at times.
That caution was certainly thrown to the wind with this line-up. January signing Ings earned his first start with injury issues affecting his early impact on the attack.
Lucas Paqueta also returned from a recurrent shoulder problem in the hopes of sparking a seriously below-par front line into life.
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A promising opening 15 minutes from the hosts also lifted spirits a touch. Ings gifted a chance by Forest’s Felipe only for the Brazilian to recover with a vital toe-poke.
It was Paqueta’s turn next – his wayward effort from a cleared corner bouncing of an unaware Felipe’s knee and onto the post.
Given West Ham’s lack of confidence and luck in front of goal this campaign, you felt they needed to make the most of their dominance with a goal. They did not.
While Forest were trying and failing to pounce on the counter, Moyes continued to watch his side waste chance after chance as Ings somehow fluffed a free header six yards out.
For all their pressure, West Ham’s first shot on target after 28 minutes summed it all up – a tame effort from Said Benrahma straight at Keylor Navas after a neat one-two with Paqueta.
Yet again, Moyes would not have wanted to hear from his statisticians at the break. It is clear where the issues lie. Nine first half corners, none led to headers on goal.
Of the 21 crosses they produced, only two found a player in Claret and Blue.
No wonder they have scored just one headed goal this season. Last year, they managed an impressive 30 goals from crosses.
Moyes remains insistent on his side plugging away in the same fashion however, hoping one day things will click back to normal. It is perhaps why Aaron Cresswell was brought on for Vladimir Coufal at the break.
Cresswell’s first act was to whip a corner onto the head of Tomas Soucek. Unsurprisingly, the flick-on found the roof of the net.
The lack in a cutting edge and lady luck in this squad currently was then summed up as Bowen unleashed a right-footed pot-shot that smacked the inside of Navas’ post and away.
Paqueta’s first-time placer then narrowly cleared the bar. Another one of those days for West Ham and Moyes? Not if Ings had anything to say about it.
With 70 minutes on the clock, Ings controlled and sprayed a delightful ball out to Bowen, whose dancing feet guided him into the box and gave him space to fire across goal.
And there was Ings. Finally, a West Ham striker in the right place at the right time with the right finish. Navas had no chance.
The stadium announcer almost could not believe it, screaming: “He started it! He finished it!”
The second wave of celebrations from the seemingly pointless VAR check for offside had only just died down before he was producing a similar finish for his second in the 73rd minute.
Paqueta showed strength to win the ball. Benrahma showed guile to glide into the box, and for once, a bit of luck, as Ings nudged it over the line with his knee – the one that had limited him beforehand to appearances from the bench.
The reactions said it all. Moyes was dancing on the pitch like he did during that run to the Europa League semis. Rice nearly had his shirt ripped off by crazed fans.
For a team who had not won a Prem game by a margin of three goals or more since last May, a third seemed unlikely. And then Rice curled one into the top corner on 78 minutes.
That was then matched with five minutes to go, subs Antonio and Pablo Fornals combining with a goal from a cross of all things, the former heading in at the back post.