West Ham face injury crisis as David Moyes dealt double blow in FA Cup draw
David Moyes sent out his strongest team in the hope of straightforward progress to the fourth round.
But West Ham will have their mid-season break interrupted by a trip to Ashton Gate next week after Tommy Conway scored a fine equaliser for a committed, courageous Bristol City.
Of most concern for the Hammers, though, was the sight of star attackers Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen departing injured and Dinos Mavropanos coming off after falling heavily on his side.
Having next weekend off Premier League action allowed Moyes to name his best XI.
And while the first string’s class was immediately clear when Bowen netted his 14th goal of the campaign, a squad lacking depth and possessing lots of miles on the clock is beginning to creak.
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With Nayef Aguerd and thrilling attacker Mohammed Kudus at the Africa Cup of Nations, the potential of Bowen, Paqueta and Mavropanos being out for a prolonged spell is far from ideal.
“I had no intention but to put out the strongest team we could," Moyes said. “Injuries are a part of football and unfortunately we picked up a couple today. I’m more disappointed to have Lucas Paqueta [injured] after 10 minutes or so.”
Asked if there was any risk to playing the Brazilian, who had only made a return to training at the end of last week, Moyes added: “We were always understanding that things were fine. But obviously something must be annoying him.”
Paqueta had provided the assist for Bowen’s fifth-minute goal, delivering a trademark lofted through ball for the England international to control and finish ruthlessly.
It was inexcusable dawdling from the visitors’ defence to allow one of England’s most prolific goalscorers such time and space - and they were deservedly punished.
Yet what was shaping up to be a simple task against Championship opposition soon began to turn pear-shaped as Paqueta went down holding the knee he injured during the warm-up against Arsenal on December 28.
Jarrod Bowen was injured in added time.Still, West Ham should have been two goals clear when temporarily down to 10 men, as they waited to bring on Divin Mubama. Bowen turned creator on this occasion, centring for Pablo Fornals only for his effort to be kept out by Max O’Leary.
The Robins goalkeeper was then alert to stop Cameron Pring from putting the ball in his own net after a botched attempt to block another Bowen shot, before getting down well to deny James Ward-Prowse’s first-time effort.
But Bristol City began to play some enterprising football early in the second half and should have been level through Pring, who somehow missed the target with only Lukasz Fabianski to beat from seven yards.
The equaliser arrived with just over an hour on the clock. Conway’s finish was nerveless but Angelo Ogbonna, the veteran centre half who has struggled when called upon throughout this season, was caught badly out of position.
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Jason Knight claimed a loose ball and laid it off to Joe Williams. He spotted the gap behind Ogbonna and sent a well-executed pass to Conway, who had the time and space to convert past Fabianski.
West Ham did attempt to respond. Soucek and Zouma headed wide, Bowen was denied by O’Leary and Danny Ings sent the rebound into the side netting.
At the other end Conway found the net again, briefly sending the 9,000 travelling fans into raptures.
Except he was well offside and the final 10 minutes ticked by uneventfully - until Bowen went down without contact in the fifth minute of added time, compounding West Ham’s’ frustration.
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