Cheikhou Kouyaté denies Norwich City with late equaliser for West Ham United
West Ham 2 - 2 NorwichHome team scorers
Diafra Sakho 33
Cheikhou Kouyate 90 +2:30
Away team scorers
Robbie Brady 9
Nathan Redmond 83
West Ham’s curious season continues. They might look unbeatable in the Premier League away from home but in their final season at Upton Park their record reads one win, two defeats, and one draw – even if this point garnered at the death will have felt like a victory. This was a game that could have gone either way, with a plethora of chances afforded to both sides, but after Nathan Redmond’s 83rd-minute goal had looked like giving the visitors all three points Cheikou Kouyaté scored in the final minute of injury time to ensure a share of the spoils.
For Norwich it was still a decent result on the road, added to last Sunday’s draw at Liverpool. Though they have won just one of their past 15 trips in the top flight, the Canaries have lost only once away from Carrow Road since Alex Neil took charge last season. They look better equipped for this division with each passing week.
Becoming only the fourth team in the Premier League to win away at Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City in the same season brings an inevitable and perhaps uncomfortable level of expectancy. Yet West Ham again appeared listless for the opening half hour of a home game. Robbie Brady’s opening goal can be filed under needless concession, and it was a surprise that a well-oiled Norwich had not extended their lead by the time the hosts awoke from their slumber.
One of the first things any young footballer is taught is to never play a ball across your defence. However Mark Noble, the usually dependable captain, did just that after nine minutes instead of clearing from a throw-in. His pass towards James Tomkins was too soft. Brady nipped in and capitalised with Tomkins sliding desperately in an attempt to retrieve possession. Brady advanced into the space vacated and sent a low finish past Adrián from 15 yards. In a strange quirk, the Republic of Ireland player was only playing on the wing because of Matt Jarvis’s absence due to the terms of his loan agreement from West Ham.
Though West Ham won a corner almost immediately, they looked ragged and allowed Norwich to control the tempo. Neil will have been disappointed the visitors wasted a succession of chances. Steven Whittaker should have crossed but instead chose to shoot from a tight angle; Jonny Howson volleyed narrowly over having wandered in to the box unnoticed; and Cameron Jerome found the side-netting after Brady cut the defence open.
The home support were growing restless but when Manuel Lanzini shot wide on the half hour, there was a sense that the tide was turning. Three minutes later the equaliser arrived. It was West Ham’s first opportunity to gather a head of steam. Diafra Sakho spotted Dimitri Payet free to his right and hooked a pass to the Premier League’s new king of assists. The France midfielder strode down the flank before sending a low cross in. Sakho’s run was timed to perfection and he coolly slotted home for his third goal in four games.
Two minutes later, Lanzini curled around the wall with his right-foot but it narrowly missed with Ruddy stranded. The emerging star then had a pot shot that almost deflected in off Russell Martin, while Winston Reid had a header saved by John Ruddy.
Norwich remained a danger after half-time and the lively Howson was denied a spectacular goal by Adrián’s fingertips, his dipping and curling effort from 25 yards just directed over the West Ham bar. Adrián also made a brave save with his face to deny a point blank strike from Jerome.
At the opposite end Sakho went close to a second with a pair of headers, Payet and Kouyaté both missed the target with decent opportunities but with the clock ticking it was time for a change of tactics. Andy Carroll, Bilic says, will not be rushed in to starting but with 20 minutes to go he was flung on in place of Lanzini and joined Sakho up front.
It was a Norwich substitute who made more of an instant impact, though. Redmond’s low effort taking one hop en route to the bottom right corner with Adrián unable to reach it. Wes Hoolahan’s pass on the left found the feet of the England Under-21 and he cut in before nervelessly picking his spot and firing home.
West Ham had two opportunities in the last minute of normal time, the first coming from Whittaker almost turning the ball in to his own net only for Martin to hook off the line, before Ruddy smothered with Carroll about to pull the trigger from six yards. But just as hope began to fade and die, Kouyaté was on hand to bundle home with his right foot after Norwich failed to clear a Payet free-kick from deep on the right and Carroll picked out his team-mate.
Guardian
