Daily WHUFC News - 14th May 2018

Lanzini & Arnautovic secure final day win over Everton
WHUFC.com

Two goals from Manuel Lanzini and a thumping strike by Marko Arnautovic
secured an eye-catching 3-1 win for West Ham against Everton on the final
day of the season. In a brilliant afternoon of football at London Stadium
Lanzini opened the scoring with a low effort in the first period.
Arnautovic netted his eleventh Premier League goal of the season with a
rocket-like strike just after an hour to double the Hammers' advantage. A
late push from Everton saw Sam Allardyce's side get a goal back through
Oumar Niasse, but the Irons would make it three as the Argentinian wizard
netted his second with a curling goal. And the result means West Ham United
finish the campaign in 13th, ending the season on 42 points. Ten minutes
into the contest and West Ham saw two chances test the Toffees. Marko
Arnautovic saw an effort blocked by Michael Keane, before Mark Noble - on
his 400th start for the Club - was played in by the Austrian. However, the
skipper's effort, which looked destined for the bottom corner, was saved by
Jordan Pickford. The Irons would lose Arthur Masuaku to an early injury
set-back, with Edimilson Fernandes coming on in his place, before Joao Mario
came close to opening the scoring with a low, left-footed strike that was
just wide of the post.
Adrian had to quickly react after Angelo Ogbonna misjudged the flight of a
long ball, smartly saving with his feet, and the stop proved vital as the
Hammers netted the first goal of the game just a few minutes later.
Cheikhou Kouyate looked to play in Arnautovic but the No7 left the ball,
allowing Lanzini to run onto the pass. The Argentinian struck first time
from the edge of the area, beating Pickford and sending elation through the
home support at London Stadium.

The Hammers doubled their advantage just after the hour mark as Arnautovic
showed just why the supporters voted him Hammer of the Year. The 29-year-old
netted his eleventh Premier League finish of the season after turning
Michael Keane and striking a rocket from outside the box, which Pickford
just could not react to. The Austrian had shown his best throughout the
entire contest, and looked like he had doubled his personal tally just
moments later, but his headed effort was ruled out for offside. Everton
would strike the post through Niasse before pulling a goal back via the
striker, who smashed into the net after a scramble from a corner with 15
minutes to go. It looked like Pablo Zabaleta would restore the Hammers'
two-goal cushion with his first finish of the season, but the Argentinian's
side-footed volley was skewered wide. But the Irons would not be denied
another goal as Lanzini superbly curled in from just inside the penalty area
to score his second of the game and ensure a thrilling result for West Ham
on the final day of the season. There was still time for West Ham fans to
show appreciation to a Club icon in James Collins, who came on in the 88th
minute to a rapturous standing ovation from the fantastic home fans, with
Noble handing the captain's armband to the Welsh defender.

West Ham United: Adrian; Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell (Collins 88'); Zabaleta,
Noble (c), Kouyate, Masuaku (Fernandes 21'); Joao Mario, Lanzini (Obiang
86'), Arnautovic
Subs: Hart, Evra, Carroll, Chicharito
Goals: Lanzini 39', Arnautovic 63'

Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Funes Mori (Klaassen 46'), Jagielka,
Baines, Gueye, Schneiderlin, Davies (Bolasie 83'), Niasse, Tosun (Walcott
61')
Subs: Robles, Martina, Kenny, Holgate
Goal: Niasse 75'

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Moyes: It was a great performance to beat Everton
WHUFC.com

David Moyes was thrilled with his West Ham United side after they signed off
the 2017/18 season in style with a 3-1 victory over Everton on Sunday. Two
goals from Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic's eleventh of the season set
the seal in a dominant performance from the hosts, which had the boss
purring at his team's attacking play. The three-point haul lifted West Ham
to a finishing position of 13th in the Premier League table, leaving Moyes
to reflect on a strong recovery from the position he inherited in the
autumn. "What a great performance," he beamed. "It was a good game, we
really enjoyed it. We played well and I enjoyed watching it. We scored good
goals. "[All three] were great strikes, but our play all day was really
good. In recent weeks our form has been very good - our football has
improved and players are getting better. "It came very close to our best
performance of the season and I thought we played very well with the ball.
We had signs of that at Leicester, we had signs at Manchester United, and
when I look back to when we first came in and were trying to get results by
hook or by crook, today looks much more structured and we've got a way of
playing. We were very good today. "When we came in we were in the bottom
three and we've ended 13th, so I'd have taken that all day long, that's for
sure."

Marko Arnautovic's upturn in form since Moyes' appointment has gone a long
way to helping the Hammers climb the table, and after he took his final
tally to 11 goals and six assists - all registered in his last 20
appearances - the manager was full of praise for his forward. He added:
"Marko has been brilliant. I know the quality of centre halves they have,
Phil Jagielka, Michael Keane, and I can tell you he was up against really
good players. "At the moment he is looking a real handful. The bit of play
we had when Nobes nearly scored early on was terrific, and I thought Joao
Mario and Lanzini were always a threat on the break too."

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Arnautovic: Everton win means we can go into the summer with a good feeling
WHUFC.com

Marko Arnautovic did not want the 2017/18 season to end. A goal and assist
against Everton on Sunday brought his tally to eleven scored and six made
from just 20 Premier League games - a run of form which has played a major
role in moving the Hammers up from the drop zone to 13th in the Premier
League table.
Arnautovic's tireless work up front earned him the Hammer of the Year award
in his debut campaign with the Club and his wish is to pick up from where he
left off when the next season gets underway. "I'm really pleased," he said.
"We completely dominated the game and deserved the three points. We're very
happy with the performance and to win the last game of the season, it means
we can go into the summer with a good feeling. "Before this week we had the
pressure on us, because we were still in the relegation battle, but when we
secured our position against Leicester, we had a better feeling. "When you
have pressure it is always hard to play, but we have done well in our last
three games and we are very happy to take seven points from them. "Being
voted Player of the Season by the fans was great. I'm very pleased for them,
and I want to thank all my teammates, the whole club and the fans for being
there for me. I hope I can continue to score goals, playing the way I'm
playing now.

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Hammers crowned Bermuda International Cup champions
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's Academy were crowned Bermuda International Football
Festival champions as they were 5-3 winners in the final contest against the
Azores.
With both sides going into the all-important clash unbeaten throughout their
group stage matches, a sizeable crowd was in a attendance to watch what
promised to be an intriguing final. And the game began in the worst possible
fashion for the U17s, with the east Londoners conceding within five minutes.
But not to be deterred, the Hammers got into their stride and equalised with
a powerful Bernardo Rosa shot which levelled the scores at 1-1. Those in
Claret and Blue then began to dominate possession and Anouar El Mhassani was
able to latch onto a superb through ball and put his side ahead after
rounding the goalkeeper. West Ham were then forced to withstand some intense
pressure before the break, but could not hold up. From a corner kick, it was
2-2. After the restart, the game failed to settle down and more goals were
inevitable. West Ham again took the lead when Rosa grabbed his second of the
game, rocketing an unbelievable shot into the net from 30 yards out. With 20
minutes remaining, the tie swung another way as the Azores levelled for 3-3.
Again, it was a set-piece that undid West Ham.
Into the final five minutes, a strong challenge on Jamal Baptiste saw the
Azores' centre-forward red-carded, all the encouragement the Hammers needed
to go on and take the game to their opponents. Within minutes, an opening
landed at the feet of Sebastian Nebula who coolly took the ball with his
first touch and volleyed past the keeper with his second for 4-3. Azores
pushed forward searching for the equaliser but with Louie Watson
intercepting the ball in midfield and sliding the ball through the open
defence to Manny Longelo, West Ham were two goals to the good as the
attacker rounded the Keeper and superbly put the ball in the bottom corner.
After lifting the trophy, proud Academy Director Terry Westley said: "The
trip has been a great learning experience for this young team. We've
experienced a hostile environment, a physical encounter, coming back from
set-backs and then having courage to continue to play in an attractive and
entertaining style to win the first Bermudian International Cup is
fantastic. "Great credit goes to the players for keeping their composure and
showing their technical ability against a much older Azores team. "I'd also
like to thank the staff who were here with us; Billy Lepine, Ben Male,
Hayden Gale and Jake Hurst, who deserve great credit for the way they have
worked with the players throughout this trip. "It's bee a great experience
for all and one we are extremely grateful to Clyde Best and the
organisational committee of this inaugural International Cup for."

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West Ham United 3-1 Everton
By Greg O'Keeffe
BBC Sport
13 May

Manuel Lanzini's brace took his goal tally for the season to five and they
were his first goals since scoring twice at Huddersfield on 13 January West
Ham moved up two places in the Premier League table to finish 13th after a
Manuel Lanzini-inspired win over Everton in what could be the final game in
charge for both managers.
Striker Marko Arnautovic's thumping second-half goal added to playmaker
Lanzini's opener before the break and David Moyes' men ended a turbulent
campaign on a high when the Argentine curled a third past Jordan Pickford
near the end. Everton, who pulled one back through Oumar Niasse, finished
eighth after ninth-placed Leicester's defeat but some supporters chanted for
manager Sam Allardyce to be sacked, as out-of-contract Moyes will also
reflect on his next step. West Ham goalkeeper Adrian made late saves to deny
Niasse and Everton substitute Theo Walcott.
Moyes, who hinted his preference was to stay, said: "Everybody always thinks
the grass is greener and there's something better out there. I would say
more often than not I bet you it's proved wrong. "We've shown we're trying
to improve. I don't know if anybody can come and make that big a difference
in six months. Even Pep Guardiola took a bit of time to get his team right.
"I'd think you'd need to give a bit longer. But every manager now is in
transit. I don't think there is a long period."
Echoing that air of uncertainty - Allardyce gave a curt response to
questions on his future. He said: "I can't quite say confident after all the
rumours I'm reading in the paper. Generally there's no smoke without fire.
We'll wait and see when we meet up."

West Ham defender James Collins, who is yet to sign a new deal and is out of
contract in the summer, received a standing ovation when he replaced Aaron
Cresswell near the end and wept at the final whistle, suggesting his 10
years of service over two spells may be coming to an end. And the Hammers'
supporters cheered the players as they made their lap of appreciation around
the London Stadium pitch in the sunshine, a markedly more upbeat atmosphere
than at times this season.

Star man Arnie shines
Seven points from the last three games and another impressive showing from
Arnautovic ensured the Hammers signed off the campaign with a smile. The
Austrian forward was referred to as the "star man" by team-mate Cresswell
afterwards and Moyes believes changing his role from the wing to up front
was a turning point in their season. "Maybe he wasn't doing as much and
tracking back on the wing," said the Scot before Sunday's win. "He's been a
sensation up front, he's been playing as well as most strikers." The man
they call 'Arnie' brushed past the visiting defence with ease to smash the
second goal of the game past Pickford and led the line strongly throughout
while also making five key passes. Moyes' ability to get the best out of a
player who underwhelmed initially after joining from Stoke last summer
certainly helped West Ham remain in the top flight. Arnautovic scored 11
goals and applied himself consistently as the club pulled away from danger
to secure survival last weekend.

Moyes could not add further clarity on his future after the final whistle
but even if he departs, he can reflect on a job well done in his brief reign
since taking over from Slaven Bilic in November. A change in manager
ultimately ensured Premier League survival for both of these clubs, but fan
unrest continues. Some Evertonians have been unhappy with Allardyce's reign
in recent weeks, and those dissenters will not have been appeased with this
result. The former England boss started with a back three, bringing
Argentina international Ramiro Funes Mori into his line-up next to Phil
Jagielka and Michael Keane. It didn't work, however, as Lanzini scored an
impressive opener and Arnautovic was allowed to turn and run at goal too
easily in the build-up to his strike. Despite changing to a back four in the
second half, which brought Everton back into the contest for a while, they
still conceded to Lanzini again when he got ahead of Seamus Coleman and
curled a shot into the top corner. Allardyce will point to key saves by
Adrian which denied his men but supporters in the away end booed his
decision to take off striker Cenk Tosun in the second half, with the Turk
also visibly unhappy after receiving precious little service throughout.
Despite having more shots on target than the hosts, Everton came away with
nothing. "Overall we managed to seal eighth spot and a few more coffers in
the pot for the club," said Allardyce, who will meet the club's owner Farhad
Moshiri in the next few days.

Man of the match - Manuel Lanzini (West Ham)
West Ham manager David Moyes said: "I can't say (about the future) because I
am no further forward. We will meet and talk next week, we haven't arranged
a date or a time. "What will influence me? When you get good performances.
It makes you feel 'hey, there's something to build on here'."

Everton manager Sam Allardyce, speaking to BBC Sport: "It is disappointing
to lose the game when the chances we missed were better than the chances
they scored with. "But then you have to credit Adrian for being absolutely
outstanding with three top-class saves. "All three should have gone in -
that's where the difference was. I am pleased with the second half, not so
pleased with the first half."

Moyes retains upper hand over Allardyce - the stats
David Moyes has won eight of his last nine meetings with Sam Allardyce in
the competition (L1), including each of his last six in a row.
Allardyce has lost four of his last five final-day games (D1), with his last
win coming with the Hammers against Reading in May 2013.
Allardyce lost his 200th Premier League game, becoming only the second
manager to do so (after Harry Redknapp, 238 defeats).
West Ham's 13th-place finish is their lowest since 2013-14 when they also
finished 13th.
Everton have won just one of their last 15 away Premier League games in
London (D6 L8), winning 1-0 at Crystal Palace in January 2017.
Manuel Lanzini has been directly involved in 11 Premier League goals this
season (five goals, six assists), his best figures in an English top-flight
campaign.
After failing to register a goal involvement in his first 11 Premier League
games for West Ham, Marko Arnautovic scored 11 and assisted six in his
following 20 appearances.
Arnautovic has scored 11 Premier League goals this season, the most by a
West Ham player in a single top-flight campaign since Bobby Zamora in
2006-07 (also 11).
Oumar Niasse netted eight goals in the Premier League for Everton in 2017-18
- double his tally from his previous two top-flight campaigns (4).

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I'm free from midnight, jokes Moyes
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 13th May 2018
By: Staff Writer

David Moyes was in high spirits during this afternoon's press conference -
as he joked about being out of work by midnight. Having secured seven points
out of nine from West Ham's final three games of the 2017/18 season and
engineered a 13th-place finish, Moyes - who is unlikely to be offered an
extended contract - has every right to be pleased with his efforts. And as
he spoke to the media for possibly the final time as West Ham's manager, he
was in fine form - despite facing the prospect of being unemployed again by
tomorrow morning. "I think [my contract expires] at midnight!" joked Moyes
when asked when his temporary contract is up. "So I'll take my suit off and
undo my tie a little bit at midnight. I'll be back on the streets by
tomorrow! "I have other options, but I've had a really good relationship
with the Board since I've been here. I speak regularly with them and from
that point of view I'd like to change things - but maybe not everybody's
happy with change."

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West Ham 3-1 Everton: Manuel Lanzini scores twice as Hammers end with a
flourish
By Ben Grounds
Last Updated: 13/05/18 6:14pm
SSN

Manuel Lanzini scored twice as West Ham deservedly beat Everton 3-1 at the
London Stadium to seal a first home league win over their opponents since
April 2007. Sam Allardyce endured an unhappy afternoon against his former
employees as Lanzini gave the hosts a deserved lead (39) before Marko
Arnautovic's swerving shot doubled the hosts' advantage (63). Oumar Niasse
pulled a goal back with a close-range finish (74), but Lanzini capped a
scintillating display with a brilliant strike past Jordan Pickford via the
post (82). The Hammers finish in 13th place while the Toffees remained in
eighth spot on the final day of the Premier League season.

Man of the match: Manuel Lanzini

Attention will now turn to the respective futures of David Moyes and
Allardyce, who praised Lanzini after a standout performance, but his side
were second best during a tired display in the capital. Mark Noble was
denied early on as Pickford produced a brilliant save low to his left after,
before Niasse pounced on a mistake by Angelo Ogbonna to force Adrian into a
smart stop with his legs. iasse's miss proved costly as seven minutes later,
West Ham were in front. There was an element of good fortune about the goal
as Cheikhou Kouyate's intended pass for Arnautovic ran through for Lanzini
to stroke his shot low to the right of Pickford's dive.
Everton began the game by playing three at the back, and duly changed to a
more familiar formation at the interval with Ramiro Funes Mori withdrawn,
but they only marginally improved before West Ham extended their lead.
Edimilson Fernandes, an early substitute for the injured Arthur Masuaku, fed
Arnautovic and the former Stoke City forward rolled Michael Keane before
unleashing a venomous shot from 25 yards that moved in the air on its way
past Pickford. Everton responded as Adrian tipped a powerful shot from
Niasse onto a post, and from the resulting corner the Senegalese forward was
rewarded for his endeavour, taking down Morgan Schneiderlin's header to fire
in from five yards out. But any hopes they had of salvaging something were
ended in fine style by Lanzini as he picked up Pablo Zabaleta's pass, cut
inside Seamus Coleman on the left and bent a superb right-foot shot that
curled beyond the outstretched Pickford and in off the post.

England watch
Aaron Cresswell: There remains an outside chance that Aaron Cresswell could
be named at least as one of Gareth Southgate's standy options given his
versatility and concerns over Danny Rose's fitness, and he produced another
assured display. He wouldn't let anyone down if he made the plane, but there
appears stronger options when everyone is fit.

Jordan Pickford: One of Everton's better performers again, Pickford could do
very little about West Ham's first and third goals but he may feel slightly
at fault for Arnautovic's goal, with the dipping shot flying past him. He
made a brilliant stop from Noble with the scores level, and he looks set for
the No 1 jersey.

Michael Keane: Any faint hopes the former Burnley defender may have had of
making a late dash for Russia were surely ended here after he was tormented
all afternoon, in particular by Arnautovic.

Man of the match - Manuel Lanzini
The Argentine was at it from the first whistle as he combined brilliantly
with Arnautovic to stretch Everton on a day they were punished for
experimenting with three at the back. Two defenders were dragged towards
Arnautovic as Lanzini fired in the opener, and the diminutive midfielder
ended the contest in typical fashion, finding the top corner with a
brilliant strike. The 25-year-old has endured an injury-ravaged season, but
this was a timely reminder of the difference he makes to this West Ham team
when he's on song. Lanzini has been directly involved in 11 Premier League
goals this season (five goals, six assists), his best ever figures in an
English top-flight campaign.

Opta stats
David Moyes has won eight of his last nine meetings with Sam Allardyce in
the competition (L1), including each of his last six in a row.
Sam Allardyce has lost four of his last five final day games (D1), with his
last win coming with the Hammers against Reading in May 2013.
Everton have won just one of their last 15 away Premier League games in
London (D6 L8), winning 1-0 at Crystal Palace in January 2017
After failing to register a goal involvement in his first 11 Premier League
games for West Ham, Marko Arnautovic has scored 11 and assisted six in his
following 20 appearances.
Arnautovic has scored 11 Premier League goals this season, the most by a
West Ham player in a single top-flight campaign since Bobby Zamora in
2006-07 (also 11).
Oumar Niasse netted eight goals in the Premier League for Everton in 2017-18
- double his tally from his previous two top-flight campaigns (4).

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Marko Arnautovic's was 'unplayable' says West Ham boss David Moyes
Last Updated: 13/05/18 7:33pm
SSN

David Moyes hailed Marko Arnautovic's performance as 'unplayable' after West
Ham ended their season on a high with a 3-1 win over Everton at the London
Stadium. Arnautovic was named the club's player of the year due to the
quality of his performances during his debut season and he was influential
once more against Everton. The Austrian was involved in West Ham's first
goal scored by Manuel Lanzini and then got on the scoresheet himself with a
brilliant strike just beyond the hour mark. A second goal from Lanzini late
on restored West Ham's two-goal advantage after Oumar Niasse had struck for
Everton to ensure that West Ham won the game and finished 13th in the table.
West Ham United manager David Moyes was full of praise for the way his side
beat Everton 3-1 at the London Stadium in the Premier League. peaking
post-match, Moyes said: "What a great performance. It was a good game, the
players enjoyed it, I enjoyed watching it and we scored good goals," he
said. "Our play all day was really good, in recent weeks our form has been
really good, our football has improved, the players have got better, so
that's good. "Look at times he [Arnautovic] can be unplayable. He had other
opportunities, he was in on the keeper. When we came in we were in the
bottom three and we've ended up in 13th so I would have taken that all day
long, that's for sure."

West Ham's season reached a nadir in March when a 3-0 home defeat to Burnley
was marred by pitch invasions and protests in the stands. The club's
decision to head to Miami for a five-day warm weather training camp a few
days later was criticised by some but Moyes insisted that it was the turning
point in their season.
"Sometimes you've got to pat yourselves on the back because others don't! If
you'd have given me this at the start and a performance like we gave today
I'd be delighted," he said. "I think for me the decision to go to Miami was
a massive turnaround for us, I think we've only lost two games since we came
back. "It showed the togetherness and that the players were making the right
decisions and right choices, sometimes you've got to trust the managers and
let them get on with it.
"I'll speak with the club, things haven't changed over the next few days and
whatnot we'll have the chance to speak but everything is the same as it
was."

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West Ham United 2017/18 Premier League season review
Last Updated: 13/05/18 6:07pm
SSN

West Ham finished the 2017/18 Premier League season in 14th place.

Read on for our review of their campaign, complete with the views of Soccer
Saturday pundit Phil Thompson.

Finishing position: 13th (-2)
Total points: 42 (-3)
FA Cup: Fourth round
Carabao Cup: Quarter-finals
Top scorer: Marko Arnautovic (11)

West Ham's second season in the Olympic Stadium was even more turbulent than
their first. Expectations were raised by the summer signings of Marko
Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez and Joe Hart, but a dreadful start to the
campaign cost Slaven Bilic his job in November. Many supporters were
unimpressed when David Moyes was chosen to succeed him, and while results
did pick up in December, tempers spilled over when back-to-back 4-1 defeats
to Liverpool and Swansea were followed by a 3-0 reverse at home to Burnley.
The ugly scenes at the Olympic Stadium that day summed up the mood at the
club, but West Ham rallied in the remaining months of the season to avoid
relegation and move up to 13th place. It's a long way short of what was
expected when they left Upton Park behind, but it represents a job well done
by Moyes.

Best day of 2017/18

The 1-0 win over London rivals Chelsea in December, when Arnautovic's goal
gave West Ham fans something to savour.

Worst day of 2017/18

The 3-0 loss at home to Burnley was the nadir. Angry supporters invaded the
pitch and forced co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan to flee the
directors' box.

Managerial review

I think David Moyes should be in there with the top manager performances of
the season because of the emotional battles in that job, putting out fires
all over the place with fans, owners and players. He's had to use all of his
experience to keep them in the Premier League and prevent a potential
implosion.

Player of the year

I was shocked at how inept and disinterested Marko Arnautovic looked at the
start of the season. I covered the game against Southampton where he got
sent off for elbowing a centre-half. To have turned it around and become
such a key figure, a little like Wilfried Zaha at Palace, is really
impressive. Keeping David Moyes should be imperative to bringing stability
back to club and avoiding another relegation battle.
Phil Thompson

2018/19 prospects

I think they will have learnt from this season. Keeping David Moyes should
be imperative to bringing stability back to club and avoiding another
relegation battle.

Sky Bet relegation odds for 2018/19: 5/1

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