West Ham Criticized for Lacking Football Fundamentals

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has voiced criticism regarding Julen Lopetegui’s team following their 5-2 defeat by Arsenal at home, stating they were “not doing the fundamentals well enough.” Speaking on Match of the Day, Murphy commented, “I was really shocked how easy West Ham made it for Arsenal.” He further elaborated, “They were basically not doing the fundamentals well enough. They struggled with the real basics of football.” Murphy highlighted a specific tactical issue, noting that “[Michail] Antonio, as your centre-forward, was marking their best header of the ball – I found that strange.” He observed that Antonio “left him, he lost him, he didn’t seem comfortable doing it,” adding that “Gabriel is the best header in the Premier League from set-plays.” He suggested that “[Max] Kilman, who is arguably West Ham’s best header of the ball at centre-back, should have been marking Gabriel.” Murphy pointed out further deficiencies, stating, “They lacked communication and they were not winning their second balls – the normal basic things.” He also noted that West Ham “were letting [Martin] Odegaard – one of Arsenal’s best players – just run,” emphasizing that “The most creative player on the pitch was in oceans [of space].” Additionally, he highlighted that “Bukayo Saka – one of the best finishers on his left foot in the Premier League – was left in the 18-yard box with no-one even within 10 yards of him. Unbelievable. Surely they worked on that? You can’t do that.” Murphy concluded by defining these critical aspects: “These are the fundamentals – winning duels, closing down space, tracking runs, being competitive against a good side.”