West Ham have to do better in these three areas to beat Sevilla
West Ham United received a rather huge awakening last Thursday when they were beaten 1-0 by La Liga side Sevilla but they have a chance at redemption.
Munir’s second-half goal was the difference at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan despite David Moyes’ side arguably having the best of the game for large parts.
Thankfully for the Hammers, European knockout rounds are two-legged affairs and they have the opportunity to turn the game around at the London Stadium where home comforts might carry them over the line.
It’s going to ve far from easy though as the Irons know first-hand how tough the Spaniards are to break down and Unai Emery’s knowledge of the competition is another hurdle they could do without.
Having said that, there are aspects of the game in which West Ham can and must improve to stop Sevilla in their tracks and advance to the quarter-finals.
Set-piece organisation
The obvious starting place is the goal itself and how Munir had so much space to find a shot will remain a mystery to West Ham fans for quite some time.
Whoever should have been marking the Spaniard has done his job so poorly that he should have been scolded in the dressing room afterwards.
It shouldn’t be too difficult to sort this kind of thing about but if they still haven’t figured out their defensive set-pieces, they can kiss progression goodbye.
Take chances
This can’t really be trained sadly as the Hammers simply had an off day in front of goal last Thursday.
Nikola Vlasic’s chance just 10 minutes in is probably the best example of this as you would expect him to bury this every day of the week.
He could have headed it in any corner he wished here but he hit the goalkeeper despicably and extra shooting practice has to be on the agenda in training.
High line
If it is played well, a high line is very difficult to defend against but early on in Seville, Aaron Cresswell found himself in a world of bother.
He got excitable perhaps and bombed forward but left a gaping hole in behind him and the sharp movement of the Sevilla attacker quickly found him out.
Had their final ball been better, it could have been worse than 1-0 come full-time.
There is plenty for Moyes to ponder ahead of Thursday’s return leg but he will still be confident of success despite the deficit he’s facing.
In other West Ham news, a new release clause might cause the Irons to spring into transfer action for this EFL star.
Be sure to follow West Ham Zone on Facebook for 24/7 updates on the Hammers plus more exclusive interviews with Frank McAvennie.