Roy Keane critiqued David Moyes and his West Ham squad for their lackluster performance as they found themselves trailing 4-0 to Arsenal by halftime during a home game. The scoring onslaught by Arsenal, featuring goals from William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel, and Leandro Trossard, effectively sealed the game’s fate early on.
In a display that led to thousands of West Ham supporters exiting the London Stadium in dismay over their team’s defeat by their city rivals, Keane did not hold back in his criticism of the team’s effort. “West Ham’s performance was astonishingly poor,” Keane remarked. He highlighted the team’s lack of initiative, failure to challenge the opposition, and the ease with which Trossard scored as particularly egregious examples of West Ham’s shortcomings.
Keane pointed out the team’s total collapse in the latter stages of the first half as especially unacceptable, noting that even in the initial 30 minutes where West Ham did apply some pressure on Arsenal, their overall play quickly deteriorated. He underscored the lack of aggression and dynamism, labeling the team’s approach as lethargic and devoid of passion. “David Moyes would undoubtedly have been livid during the half-time break,” he added, emphasizing the stark difference in performance between the two sides.
Arsenal’s victory not only showcased their dominance but also positioned them closer to Premier League leaders Liverpool, potentially narrowing the gap to just two points, contingent on future matches involving Manchester City.
Sky Sports analyst Paul Merson also weighed in on the significance of the match for Arsenal’s title aspirations, suggesting that a loss would have effectively ended their chances. He stressed the importance of the victory in keeping Arsenal in contention, especially considering the competitive nature of the title race and the challenge of overcoming a points deficit against a team like Manchester City in the remaining games.
