David Moyes defended his West Ham record after seeing his team humiliated in a 6-0 loss to Premier League title contenders Arsenal on Sunday.
Despite West Ham being in contention for European qualification again this season, Moyes has been heavily criticised by some Irons fans in recent weeks, and Sunday’s result will have done nothing to quieten the debate around his future.
Moyes’s side were ripped apart by a rampant Arsenal team in front of a disgruntled home crowd, with William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Magalhaes and Leandro Trossard scoring to put the Gunners 4-0 up before half-time.
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Thousands of home fans were seen streaming out of the exits at the interval, after which Saka added a well-taken fifth goal and Declan Rice scored from long range to put his former club 6-0 down.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the chastening defeat, Moyes said he understood supporters’ frustrations but maintained the Hammers are going in the right direction overall.
Asked about the mass exodus of fans at half-time, Moyes said: “I’m a football supporter, I understand that.
Full-time. pic.twitter.com/EnalwExaxN
— West Ham United (@WestHam) February 11, 2024
“I don’t think the direction the club is heading in is the wrong direction. It’s grown greatly since we came in. We were fighting relegation. We’re not fighting relegation today.
“We were playing one of the top teams in the country who we took three points off earlier in the season, so I have to say the club is in a really good place.
“We’ve had setbacks through the season and we’ll try and come back from this one as best we can.”
Arsenal, meanwhile, moved back within two points of leaders Liverpool. The Gunners had lost their previous two games against West Ham this term, one in the EFL Cup and one in the Premier League, and Mikel Arteta was delighted to see them avenge those defeats.
“I’m extremely happy with the way we performed, the way we played. Such a big score in a really difficult place tells you a lot about how well the boys played today,” Arteta said.
The last time Arsenal registered a six-goal league victory away from home? December 1935.#WHUARS pic.twitter.com/Zer7zpjFkA
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 11, 2024
“We’re in a good moment and when you have good moments, you have to build and maintain the momentum.
“From the beginning, the team looked really sharp. We had to put right the last two results against them and that was a good motivation for the boys.”
Asked about Rice’s goalscoring return to the London Stadium, Arteta said: “It’s always difficult to come back to your old club.
“The fans were really good to him. When he went to take the corners they clapped him, so it’s great to see that kind of reception. He loves this club so much and I know what it meant to him to play today.
“We have to share the goals. That desire and that commitment to get into the box to make things happen, it was excellent.”
