West Ham’s final pre-season game of the year pitted them against Celta Vigo in the Betway Cup, as Julen Lopetegui’s side proved triumphant in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
The Hammers had suffered a poor preseason tour up to that point, most recently suffering defeats against both Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the US. The game represented a final chance to gain momentum heading into the Premier League season, with the side set to host Aston Villa at the London Stadium next weekend.
As it happened
West Ham fielded a strong eleven, including newly crowned captain Jarrod Bowen, the returning Lucas Paqueta, and a debut for recent signing Guido Rodriguez in the midfield. This strength showed in the early stages of the game, with the irons seizing control from the off. Celta Vigo’s Jailson was forced to clear one chipped ball after another as Lucas Paqueta relentlessly tried to find Bowen in the box. The pressure soon paid dividends as a lofted pass floated over Jailson’s head and onto Bowen’s foot, who deftly finished the chance from very close range.
Embed from Getty ImagesWest Ham had the lead inside seven minutes, but the goal seemed to spur a sleepwalking Celta side into action. They were still happy to concede possession to the English, but suddenly lit up on the counter attack. West Ham’s advanced full backs – an imminent trademark of Lopetegui’s system – left acres of space for Celta to exploit on the breakaway. The Spaniards initially had one goal disallowed for offside, but were soon knocking on the door again as Mihailo Ristic received the ball just inside the box before powering a strike at Alphonse Areola. The Frenchman had no answer, and the ball cannoned off him and into the net to level the tie.
West Ham would soon see a goal of their own ruled out, as Bowen’s cross was turned towards Lucas Paqueta at the far post, who managed to opportunistically bundle the ball in before he saw the offside flag raised. He wouldn’t have to wait long for another chance, as he found himself one on one with the keeper thanks to some cute interplay from his teammates, as well as a healthy dose of luck as Jailson failed to cut the ball out as it rolled across him. Paqueta made no mistake with the finish, lifting it above Villar to make it 2-1 to West Ham.
Rodriguez was withdrawn at half time alongside Areola and Mavropanos, replaced by established regulars Ward-Prowse, Fabianski and Aguerd for the second stint. The debutant Rodriguez clearly had a way to go fitness wise, but demonstrated some of the emphatic tackling that is sure to endear a new signing to their supporters.
The second half was a duller performance, as questionable commitment to the Betway Cup clashed with tired legs. New signings Summerville, Fullkrug and Guilherme all got onto the pitch, though none were able to considerably affect proceedings. The highlight of the half came when Aguerd gave possession away under pressure near his own box. Celta combined neatly as they worked the ball centrally, eventually producing a shot from the edge of the box that bounced off Kilman and into the path of the attacker Duran.
The scoreline stood firm at 2-2 for the remainder of the 90 minutes, pushing the game to penalties. Cresswell saw his opening strike find the net, though his successor, Celta’s new signing Moriba, watched helplessly as Fabianski got down in a flash to stop his attempt dead. Both teams found their feet and the back of the net, until debutant Niclas Füllkrug placed an uninspiring effort into the hands of the Celta keeper. Aguerd, Kilman and Guilherme righted the ship with their penalties, sealing the win as they watched Celta’s final taker send his penalty well over the bar.
Embed from Getty ImagesEyes will now turn to West Ham’s upcoming Premier League fixture against Aston Villa.
When asked about his side having to integrate so many recent signings, so late in the window, manager Julen Lopetegui acknowledged the challenge as a fact of life at this level of football.
“We have to adapt, some players arrive late, this is normal and we have to try to adapt and put them together as soon as possible,” he explained. West Ham’s late business has drawn widespread attention, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka set to join their ranks imminently should Manchester United and West Ham manage to finalise the details for the transfer.