NASRI’S HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE ON DEBUT
YOU only need to look at Samir Nasri’s touch map to see how West Ham’s newest midfielder thrived in his first appearance at the club under Manuel Pellegrini. File this graphic under the ‘here, there and everywhere’ category. Nasri had points to prove in his first game since 2017 — that he is not a has-been, that he is fit, and that he can still pull strings for his team. Pellegrini insisted ahead of this FA Cup tie that fantastic footballers can pick up where they left off because it is like riding a bike. On this evidence, he is right. It was not a performance to blow the mind, but considering Nasri was playing off the back of an 18-month doping ban, it was enough to convince that the talent is still there. Nasri showed glimpses of his old Manchester City self. He completed 95.7 per cent of his passes (44 of 46 attempted); he was like a magnet to the ball during his 58 minutes on the London Stadium pitch. Tougher tests than Championship side Birmingham City await. It took Marko Arnautovic only two minutes to open the scoring, and Andy Carroll’s header completed the win in stoppage time. Nasri now wants to build his fitness. He said: ‘I felt good. Honestly, I thought I would struggle a little more with the rhythm as my last game was 13 months ago. ‘I’m just relieved that everything is now behind me and I’m happy about those first 58 minutes. ‘It was good and I’m just looking forward to the next game.’ The former Arsenal midfielder will know that the next visitors to the London Stadium are Unai Emery’s Gunners. Carroll, who scored for the first time since April 2018, said: ‘I was desperate to get a goal, to be honest. I have been dreaming about it for a long time. ‘Samir played his first game and the quality shows. We have got the quality, we have got the players, we’ve got the fans. We are a good team.’ It is two years this month since West Ham sold Dimitri Payet to Marseille, after the Frenchman went on strike to force a £25million move. Payet has created the most chances of any player in Europe’s top five leagues this season — he is on 64, while the next nearest is Chelsea’s Eden Hazard on 57. Payet would still be an asset for West Ham but Pellegrini is not short of players who know how to win matches. He has Arnautovic and Felipe Anderson. And now Nasri.
MAGIC OF THE CUP VERDICT: 3/5
No upset but tremendous 55,000 gate shows there is still some romance left.