SPARK OUT!
Fans turn on Hughes after old boy Arnautovic seals West Ham win
AN afternoon that began with questions about an electrician ended with deep scrutiny on Stoke’s main Sparky.
If Mark Hughes was not already fighting for his job before this game he surely is now after a damaging 3-0 defeat by West Ham that was accompanied by serious terrace unrest for the first time.
Hughes earned his Sparky nickname for his firebrand style while a player and he will need all his reserves of energy to navigate this period.
In front of watching chairman Peter Coates there were cries of ‘Hughes out’ and Stoke supporters even joined in when West Ham’s followers sang ‘sacked in the morning’.
West Ham were helped by a penalty award in the first half that should result in a retrospective ban for Manuel Lanzini. But the ease with which the visitors were able to pick Stoke apart at times was concerning and Marko Arnautovic rubbed salt in the wounds when he scored on his return and then exchanged barbs with Ryan Shawcross and Hughes.
The match having kicked off an hour late due to a power outage, most Stoke fans did not wait for the final whistle and the empty stands at a third defeat in succession told a damning story. On the flip side, David Moyes appears to be building something tangible at West Ham. This first away win of the season had defensive resilience as its foundation.
Moyes has now collected seven points in three games to move West Ham out of the relegation places and above Stoke, who are just one point and one place clear of the drop zone.
Hughes said: ‘We’re damaged by the manner of the defeat at the end when we were chasing the game. But you still have to have the defensive structure. It has happened too many times. We need to do something about it.
‘Up until the 75th minute our fans were magnificent, driving us on. But the goal took the wind out of our sails.’
Kick-off had not taken place until 4pm, with supporters made to wait outside as the lights got switched back on, but that did not dim the ferocity of Stoke’s ‘welcome back’ for Arnautovic following his £24million summer move.
The Austrian became villain No1 in the Potteries for claiming West Ham was a step up in his career and the invective from home fans was sharp.
The travelling section responded in kind by claiming Arnautovic left because Stoke are not very good and it made for a cracking atmosphere that then cranked up further after the controversial sequence in the 18th minute.
Shawcross hit a post from Xherdan Shaqiri’s free-kick and West Ham only partially cleared. When Shaqiri fell under Arthur Masuaka’s challenge the home side wanted another free-kick. But referee Graham Scott waved play on and Lanzini embarked on a 60yard run that left Geoff Cameron, Kevin Wimmer, and Joe Allen trailing.
Erik Pieters was the fourth Stoke player to try to stop Lanzini, who had burst into the area, but the Dutchman withdrew his legs rather than commit to a tackle. Lanzini fell over thin air, throwing himself dramatically to the turf.
Scott was looking directly at it but still pointed to the spot, to the incredulity of Stoke’s players. Mark Noble rolled home the penalty.
Moyes admitted the award was ‘soft’ but claimed Lanzini was tired. But it should be the simplest case of a retrospective ban the FA will have to deal with.
West Ham created the better chances in the rest of the first half. Jack Butland saved from Arnautovic and Lanzini, and the Austrian also shot over. Arnautovic clipped the bar with a header then, on the hour, his shot rippled the net but on the wrong side of the post. He then hit the bar again.
After 75 minutes, Arnautovic finally had his moment. He played a one-two with Lanzini on the edge of Stoke’s area, then prodded the ball past Butland. Arnautovic revelled in the venom that came his way from the home fans to the irritation of Shawcross and Hughes, who voiced their complaints when Moyes took his player off.
‘He is beginning to become a really important player and I’d like to get him up to even higher levels,’ said Moyes.
Four minutes from time Lanzini set up Diafro Sakho, who made the score three.
The spotlight now falls on Hughes. Stoke (4-4-2): Butland 7; Cameron 6, Shawcross 6, Wimmer 5, Pieters 6 (Tymon 63min, 6); Shaqiri 7, Fletcher 6 (Adam 62, 6.5), Allen 7, Ramadan 6; Diouf 5 (Berahino 62, 5), Crouch 6. Booked: Wimmer, Shawcross. Subs (not used): Grant, Choupo-Moting, Ngoy, Edwards. WeSt Ham (4-3-3): Adrian 6.5; Zabaleta 7, Collins 7.5, Ogbonna 7, Cresswell 7; Obiang 7, Noble 7 (Rice 35), Masuaku 7; Antonio 6 (Sakho 68), Arnautovic 8 (Hernandez 78), Lanzini 6. Booked: Masuaku. Subs (not used): Hart, Ayew, Haksabanovic, Makasi. Referee: G Scott 4.