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Attendance: 52,159
Manchester City logo
Premier League | Gameweek 26
Feb 19, 2020 at 7.30pm UK
 
West Ham logo

2-0

Rodri (30'), De Bruyne (62')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Moyes defends West Ham team selection against Manchester City

Moyes defends West Ham team selection against Manchester City
© Reuters
The Hammers were beaten 2-0 in the rearranged fixture.

David Moyes has launched a staunch defence of his tactics at Manchester City as West Ham prepare for another backs-to-the-wall encounter.

Some Hammers fans were dismayed at Moyes' team selection on Wednesday night, a line-up seemingly with damage limitation in mind consisting of five at the back, four in midfield and Michail Antonio in attack on his own.

Meanwhile more than £100million worth of talent, including Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini and record signing Sebastien Haller, kicked their heels on the bench.

An underwhelming 2-0 defeat left some of the travelling support wondering why they had bothered making the long midweek trip for the rearranged fixture.

But Moyes is likely to serve up more of the same when his relegation-threatened side head to runaway leaders Liverpool on Monday night.

The Hammers boss said: "The message to the ones who travelled up was thanks very much for coming to the game, which had been rearranged and was not easy to get to. They were terrific and we appreciate them.

"But I think the real supporters understand how difficult the games are. They understand that the two games we have in this period are very hard.

"In the main many of the supporters I have spoken to have been very supportive and really understanding.

"We went there hoping to get something from the game. We've tried other formations and other players that haven't worked either. We're trying to find situations and look for situations that will help us."

West Ham will travel to Anfield rooted in the bottom three, in the midst of a third relegation scrap in four years.

Moyes saved them from the drop two seasons ago, but he insists mere survival should not be viewed as a triumph at a club with far loftier aspirations.

"I've never classed staying up at any club a success and I never will. And certainly not a club the size in West Ham," he added.

"But I have a job to do, we have a job to do to stay up, unfortunately, and that will be reviewed by everyone at the end in the season."

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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool25186160243660
2Arsenal25158251222953
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest25145641291247
4Manchester CityMan City25135752351744
5Bournemouth25127644291543
6Chelsea25127647341343
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2512584233941
8Fulham2510963833539
9Aston Villa2510873538-338
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2591063838037
11Brentford25104114342134
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs25931349371230
13Crystal Palace257992932-330
14Everton257992731-430
15Manchester UnitedMan Utd2585122835-729
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham2576122947-1827
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2554163554-1919
18Ipswich TownIpswich2538142350-2717
19Leicester CityLeicester2545162555-3017
20Southampton2523201957-389


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