Wahbi in from cold as heat turned on Moyes
WAHBI Khazri came in from the cold on the day David Moyes felt the heat for the first time.
With Sunderland sliding inexorably towards the Championship, tensions have been rising on Wearside for some time, Moyes being the focal point.
And after Andre Ayew had put West Ham ahead early on at the Stadium of Light, for the first time this season that discontent was voiced by fans as they sang “We want Moyes out” midway through the first half.
But those chants soon died out and gave way to “Are you watching, David Moyes?” as fan favourite Khazri marked his return to the side with a spectacular goal just before the half-hour.
‘Where’s Wahbi?’ has been a familiar refrain this season.
And, invariably, the answer has been ‘on the bench.’
Khazri was left out at the beginning of the season, did not seize his chance when given a run of starts in October, and has since had to settle for a role as a bit-part player – making unproductive cameo appearances.
But with Seb Larsson beginning a three-match suspension, Moyes gave the Tunisian another opportunity. And this time Khazri delivered. This was the Khazri of 12 months ago the fans had been pining for all season.
He combined creativity with workrate, and in that mood he is undoubtedly an asset and well worth his place in the starting XI.
Sunderland had gone 11 hours and 42 minutes without a goal but Khazri ended that drought, scoring direct from a corner kick.
Had Sunderland finished even a couple clear-cut chances Khazri laid on – for John O’Shea, Darron Gibson, Jermain Defoe, and Didier Ndong – they would have surely seen off a desperately poor West Ham side.
But instead Sunderland, without the dropped Lamine Kone, gave away two soft goals and had to dig deep to twice fight back and claim a point.
Ayew’s goal was too easy and, having got back on level terms, James Collins’ header from a corner immediately after half-time was another body-blow.
It was left to sub Fabio Borini to earn Sunderland a point with an equaliser in the 90th minute.
With an injury to Billy Jones leading to 10 minutes of added time, and with West Ham playing half of that a man light after Sam Byram was sent off, there was only one side pushing for a winner, but the Cats ran out of time.
The draw trimmed a point off the gap between Sunderland and safety, but with fourth-bottom Hull City nine points ahead – and with only six games remaining – it was not enough to spark hopes of another escape act.
Sunderland’s next four games pit them against Middlesbrough, Bournemouth, Hull City, and Swansea City.
Khazri’s time may have come, and Sunderland’s time may be almost up, but at the very least they must make a fist of it in the run-in.