KRUL IS KIND TO HAMMERS BY MISTAKE
TIM KRUL dropped a double clanger as Jarrod Bowen boosted his England chances with a cluster of assists.
The Norwich keeper was guilty of two goal-costing errors that enabled David Moyes’ West Ham to stroll to victory.
The Hammers manager had been stuck in tetchy mode after he and Aaron Cresswell both saw red in their Europa League exit at Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night.
There are no more generous hosts than Norwich though – and Dean Smith’s men showed just why they are already down with some calamitous keeping from Krul.
Bowen set up all of the first three goals on a day when Said Benrahma scored twice either side of a strike from Michail Antonio, with Manuel Lanzini netting the fourth from the spot.
Krul’s first error came when he let Benrahma’s shot slip under a glove in the 12th minute.
True, it had taken a hefty deflection off Max Aarons – but it still went through him.
Antonio’s tap-in was even more painful. Grant Hanley chased the forward as Bowen slid the ball into the box but Krul came out, arm stretched, and deflected the ball on to Antonio’s boot for a simple finish on 30 minutes.
Bowen’s only blot was somehow missing from point-blank range straight after – but it was his pass that allowed Benrahma to fire past Krul on the stroke of half-time.
The second period began with Lukasz Fabianski allowing a routine corner catch to slip through his hands.
Slammed
Former West Ham fullback Sam Byram slammed home the loose ball but VAR spotted he had handled while bringing it down.
The remote control referee punished the Canaries again when Craig Dawson and Jacob Sorensen challenged for a corner.
Referee Robert Jones hadn’t spotted the Dane had stuck a hand out but one trip to the monitor and the penalty was awarded on 65 minutes.
Hammers playmaker Lanzini calmly slotted home from the spot.
NORWICH: Krul; Aarons, Hanley (C), Byram, Williams; Sorensen, Gilmour; Dowell (Placheta, 71), Lees-Melous (Springett (47), Rashica (Rupp, 47); Pukki. NOT USED: Gunn (GK), Gibson, Giannoulis, Gibbs, Rowe, Tzolis. WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson (Noble, 67), Zouma, Cresswell; Rice (C), Fornals; Bowen, Lanzini, Benrahma (Vlasic, 76); Antonio (Yarmolenko, 46). NOT USED: Areola (GK), Masuaku, Fredericks, Johnson, Soucek, Kral. REFEREE: Robert Jones