West Ham must bring Michail Antonio on if they are to claim victory over Wolves at Molineux.
The Hammers’ counter-attacking style under David Moyes is well-documented, with domination of the ball and territory not key to the Scot’s game plan – but they have struggled to implement it effectively without their star striker, going 1-0 down.
The visitors recorded just 35 per cent possession in the first half at Molineux and looked blunt in attack, mustering only two shots with an xG value of just 0.03, per FotMob.
That level of cautiousness would be understandable and excusable away from home against a title contender such as Manchester City, Liverpool or Arsenal – but Wolves do not require the same level of deference.
The Hammers’ negativity allowed Wolves to dominate the game and that pressure paid off as Rayan Ait-Nouri drew a foul from Emerson in the box, leading to a penalty which Pablo Sarabia tucked away.
Antonio’s absence has robbed Moyes’ side of a key threat in behind, allowing their opponents to advance with little fear of being punished should they lose the ball.
West Ham do not need to transform their style – but they cannot be so passive
This is not all to say that West Ham must transform at half-time and emerge in the second half ready to pass their opponents to death a la Pep Guardiola.
The Hammers are dangerous in transition and Antonio – along with the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen – can certainly hurt Wolves on the break, but the game state ahead of the second half favours the hosts, who no longer have to leave space or take risks in search of a goal.
Additionally, it is still possible to play a transitional style without allowing opponents two-thirds of the ball – the lack of care and ambition shown in possession, coupled with the absence of Antonio’s threat up front – are precisely what have allowed Wolves to enjoy such a strong 45 minutes.
West Ham boast an array of talented attacking players, but to utilise their talents to their fullest extent, they need more of the ball than they had in the first half – and Antonio can help them to assert themselves on the game.
