Unusual scenes in West Ham United away end detailed at Manchester City after Premier League defeat
There were an “unusually large” number of empty seats in the West Ham away end for their clash with Manchester City on Wednesday (3 April), according to the Daily Mail’s Jack Gaughan.
David Moyes’s side lost 3-0 at the Etihad in their Premier League clash, keeping them just four points above the relegation zone.
A tricky enough challenge with a full band of travelling supporters, their task was made even more difficult as the away end of the Etihad didn’t fill up on the night.
“There were an unusually large number of empty seats in the away end,” Gaughan wrote for the Daily Mail (Page 75, 4 May). “West Ham sold out their allocation of just under 3,000 before this game was rearranged in March due to the FA Cup.
“It’s hard to blame them for not turning up on a Wednesday night – or perhaps the sickness bug that saw Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Nayef Aguerd sent home at 2pm went further than the squad?”
Disappointing evening
West Ham and their supporters knew they would be up against it from the very start against a hugely talented Manchester City side, especially with the match being played at the Etihad.
Nonetheless, the supporters that did turn up certainly made themselves heard, even with the absence of captain fantastic Rice.
The Hammers tried their best to threaten a solid Manchester City defence, but the hosts remained in control all evening and produced a very professional display to go back to the top of the Premier League table.
The Hammers players and fans must now bounce back and prove they are still up for the fight when they host Manchester United on Sunday (7 May), with a real collective effort needed if the home side are to get anything from this tricky fixture.
The East London outfit were going strong in the early stages of last month, but West Ham have now lost three successive matches, form that will really worry Moyes with just four games remaining.