West Ham United 0-5 Manchester City: Five Talking Points | Premier League 2019-20

#4 Sebastian Haller the redeeming feature for West Ham

Sebastian Haller was problematic for City early on

The game ended in heartbreak for the Hammers. This kind of result is demoralizing even though it was against a Champions team. West Ham won't be judged by this performance but it was rather their own mistakes that doomed them than City's quality. When quality outclassed West Ham, the goal was ruled out. The other goals they conceded were abysmal for their liking because they conceded only 3 in their last 13 games before this season.

However, one must learn to find a positive note among all the things that need to be fixed, and that positive is the Hammers' acquisition from Frankfurt, Sebastien Haller.

Haller played impressively as a classic #9, a target striker whose movements were highly disorienting for the defense, pain in Laporte's head. If his teammates had succeeded in getting some supply to him, he might well have scored a goal.

Haller's stats were impressive. A 91% pass success completing 31 of 34 passes, that number is insane for a target striker. He had 47 touches - more than Michail Antonio, Felipe Anderson, and Jack Wilshere, and also his counterpart Gabriel Jesus. He also made 4 successful tackles and made 2 interceptions.

Aymeric Laporte was able to cancel out a lot of aerial threat from Haller, but with better supplies, Haller had the potential to hurt City. He was looking like a wolf on the prowl.