Arthur Masuaku scored a brilliant goal to help West Ham overcome Chelsea in Saturday’s early Premier League kickoff game.
Thiago Silva opened the scoring, Manuel Lanzini equalised with a penalty and Mason Mount restored the lead but Jarrod Bowen’s long-range effort pegged Chelsea back again.
And with three minutes remaining, Masuaku’s mis-hit cross from the left caught out Mendy at his near post.
It was Chelsea’s first loss in 13 matches.
The Blues still remain top of the Premier League log on 33 point pending the results of Liverpool and Man City this evening.
21 Comments
After watching Mendy performing signs and wonders in the Chelsea goal today, I think perhaps we’re being a bit too harsh on Okoye.
Mendy pretty much gift-wrapped 2 goals for Westham today. Errors that Okoye will shake his head at.
Mendy and Jorginho collaborated to help Westham draw level in the 40th minute. First, Jorginho makes a back pass that puts Mendy in trouble. Then Mendy dawdles and dilly dallies, like a clumsy giraffe on the ball, and this gives Bowen the chance to close him down. Mendy panics, brings down Bowen in the box, and the resulting penalty is coolly dispatched by Lanzini.
Then in 87th minute, we see something that is an abomination even in a Sunday league.
Masuaku delivered what looked like a harmless cross into the box. For whatever reason, Mendy misjudged the trajectory of the cross, and got beaten at his near post.
Unbelievable!
It’s one thing to lose a game to a superior opponent. But when your own players are the reason you lose a game, then something is wrong somewhere. One can imagine Tuchel’s rage in the dressing room after the match.
Won’t be surprised to see Kepa back in goal for the next match. Senegal fans will be having night vigils for their number one goalkeeper, especially with the Afcon just around the corner.
Wrong comparison & a reckless assumption #pompei.
First, Mendy pulled lots of beautiful saves in that same match: Mendy has beautifully kept tons of matches against strong opponents like; Liverpool, Man U, Man City, et al., and even in the Champions league matches. So you can’t compare him to Okoye who has repeatedly flopped in the SE against lowly ranked teams like; Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, Central African Republic. For Okoye, it’s too many bad days in office which can cost us the AFCON.
Hence, we need to invite great goal tenders like the one in Isreali and others to compete for the SE gloves, while Okoye continue to work on himself.
Osas, you’ve gone off on a tangent with your farcical comment.
I welcome criticism, but it must be fact based and backed by sound reasoning for me to accept it. If you wish to disprove an assertion made by someone, the first step is to UNDERSTAND WHAT THE OTHER PERSON IS SAYING.
Pray tell, where did I make a comparison between Okoye and Mendy in my post? And where is the reckless assumption?
I didn’t comment on Mendy’s past performances, or his goalkeeping talent. I commented on his performance, as I observed it today.
He may have made “lots of beautiful saves” today, according to you, but on 2 occasions, he made comical errors that cost Chelsea the game.
I implied that if Mendy, as good as he is, can make errors like this, perhaps we are harsh to expect flawless performances from Okoye at this early stage in his career. I stand by that comment. It’s obvious from your comment that what I implied was lost on you.
I agree that he needs to continue to work on himself.
Adeleye looks like a quality goalie, and his invitation will hopefully help Okoye to do better.
pompei, I think u are d one who made both Farcical and Fallacious comment and overly dramatic about Chelsea’s game vs Westham.
Put on your thinking cap and go back to your first comment and peruse in btw lines with emphasis on your 2nd, 3rd & 2nd-to-d-last sentences.
Okoye is not ripe for SE No 1 goalie period. #Bring Adeleye, Uzoho and other better goalies elsewhere in to compete for the gloves, period.
You are such a comedian @Osas……..”great goal tender like the one in Israeli”…………..really? So Adeleye is so great but languishing in an Israeli league newcomer team? Have you ever watch his full game against a top team? Or you simply relied on YouTube clips to arrive at such conclusion? An untested GK cannot be regarded as great.
Okoye is not ripe for SE no 1, then who else is ripe? Uzoho who cannot tie down a regular no 1 goalie spot in his Cyprus club is the one you rate better than a regular Okoye that Benched a more experienced Van Leer in Eredivisie.
Let’s argue based on facts on the ground and not just based on sentiments.
Uzoho has only played 5 games this season but conceded 10 goals (4 goals in one game, 3 goals in another). He has 18 caps for Nigeria but conceded 17 goals with 7 clean sheets
Okoye has been in goal for Sparta in 14 games this season conceding 20 goals, 2 clean sheet
He has 13 caps for Nigeria, conceded only 9 goals with 7 clean sheets. Apart from the Serra Leone’s match, he has never conceded more than 1 goal in any match for Nigeria
Now read through the facts and see if you still arrive at your baseless conclusion
Can you listen to your yourself #Banks?
I rate Uzoho higher than Okoye. My point against Okoye is that he always fidget and very poor in one-on-one/close-range situations and set pieces.
Whenever his defense is slightly penetrated, just count it a goal (Sierra Leone, CapeV & CAR readilly come to mind).
Uzoho is better in these areas: Uzoho stopped Lewandoski of Poland, Tau of SA, even the Ukrainian and Brazilian teams. Uzoho will certainly bounce back stronger.
I even rate Akpeyi higher in a one-on-one/close range situation than Okoye.
In summary, my point is lets open the door for better goal tenders. That Adeleye is doing pretty well in Isreal is a good news for the SE. After all, most of our great goalkeepers stàrted from home before the world saw them.
Osas, you say Okoye is not ripe for the SE. Oya now, go and beat him up because you’re envious of his progress.
Okoye is not ripe for the SE. I guess you’re now more knowledgeable than the SE handlers, or the Watford people that signed him? Hehehehehe! Nothing wey mallam no go see for gate! Instead of disgracing yourself here with your stupidity, why not just read comments and waka pass? Must you challenge other people’s opinions, given your cluelessness?
If you bring better idea, we will appreciate. But clueless foolishness like Okoye is not ripe for the SE, as if Okoye is a mango, please keep that to yourself. Or discuss with your fellow clueless associates.
The truth is bitter and obviously hurting pompei aka Ode! Imbecility runs in your DNA, absolutely! Eweee!
Hehehe, very funny.
Let us wait for Okoye to ripen like a mango before we know he is ready for the SE. Moronic fool.
You are covered from head to toe in imbecility and cluelessness. Arguing foolishly. Get out of here!
Why would a fan be envious of a players progress? Are they in any land or property dispute? Why can’t Nigerians understand that no player is above criticism? Are people really that uncivilized? The same goes for Ighalo, people are accused of being jealous of his fame and wealth just because he’s criticised when bigger footballers have received criticisms. Nigerians who do una this
Well, unfortunately, envy is a reality in the world we live in. And is pervasive in the Nigerian society. Your self proclaimed “civilization” should not preclude you from recognizing a fact of life, unless you just choose to be naive and clueless.
When someone says a young goalie that has just been signed by an English premier league team because of his outstanding performances in the Dutch Eredivisie IS NOT A SE MATERIAL, do you see anything wrong there? If your child is accepted by an elite university to study, and someone says he or she is daft, does that make sense to you? There may be any number of reasons the person called your child daft, and one very possible reason is that they envy you!
Aha, you now understand, abi?
Okoye has been subpar of recent. Yes. But to come out gung-ho and say he’s not SE material is a bit far fetched!
Congrats on your civilization.
You who is so civilized should try to look for more civilized ways to respond to other people’s posts , without offending them.
The moment it was announced Watford had signed Okoye it was as if he just became Pumpido overnight! Dude is still always shaky and miscalculates decisions. He should be part of the team but not no. 1.
But world class goal keeper Adeleye should be no 1 continued to deceive yourself later you start blaming the coach mtchewwww
Okoye didn’t start the SE number one journey very well. But gradually, he is coming to grips with that position. Even though there is still some need for improvement, his last match for the SE convinced me that he now has a good grasp of that position and what the job entails.
His reading of the match, positional awareness, defence organization, communication etc were all on point throughout that match. If not for him,CV perhaps, could have scored a goal especially in the dying minutes of that match with all those close range free kicks and corner kicks that were awarded to them at the tail end of the match. He really rallied the boys and organized his defence very well in those dicey minutes as he kept barking instructions and taking charge admid the high tension and pressure which had enveloped the players because of the dire consequences of losing the match. Apart from the fear of missing the WC, the consequences include Pinnick’s raucous bashing, harsh reactions of fans offline and online, and the worst, what the Lagos fans will do to them as e-dey-hot. If me that was million miles and seas away was scared of what will happen to the players if we lost, then I could only imagine how the players themselves will feel as match went on. That was why I gave the players nothing but kudos after the match. The tension was really palpable and thick. But they stood tall and fought like warriors.
Adeleye is a very good goalkeeper who is playing regularly, but he is short.
Uzoho is tall and very good, but he doesn’t play regularly. He definitely has great potentials and should have been a lot better by now but lack of playing time has been his bane. I rate him highly, but he has to be playing more regularly before he can be in contention for the number 1 position again, because practice actually makes perfect
From their comments one can clearly see that they are up to something. Today they will say this tomorrow another. Can you imagine those who are clamouring for inform players in top league to be the first to be consider for call up are the one calling for a goal keeper in obscure league to be playing ahead of a goalkeeper playing week in week out in Dutch league. Once their favourite players are not invited they started attacking the coach as if they can do better if given the chance to lead the team. Imagine a novice calling a professional how to do his job it’s only in Nigeria you will see that. Honestly this people are disgusting they are just distracting the team by their ill mannered talks and comments
Guys, I get what @Osas is saying about Okoye, and it’s true. Once the defence is beaten it’s a goal. You see that one on one Uzoho stopped against CAR, I’m sure it would have been a goal against Okoye. SL’s game made me doubt him, conceded four and we all blamed the defence while the keeper didn’t even make any save. Our last game against Cape Verde, their keeper made a lot of goal bound saves. I’m not sure Okoye, in similar situations, would have made those saves. Throughout our qualifiers I’m not sure there’s a game when we were like “Oh if not for our goalkeeper we would have lost”. That Okoye hype mehn, me I no buy am sha!
Well, I hope we play some friendly games b4 Afcon, where he can either expose himself or assert himself.
Onwajunior, indeed Okoye has underperformed in recent games for the SE.
The fact remains that he does very well at his club. In fact, he’s done so well, a premier league club signed him. Do you realize how significant that is? Premier league clubs don’t just sign anybody. Only the best of the best in the world, or those with SERIOUS POTENTIAL, get signed by premiership clubs! And a fool by the name of Osas is saying Okoye is not ripe for SE.
Let him continue to wait for Okoye to ripe.
Now, I’m not saying Okoye must be in the squad. I’m always for selecting only the best. If we have 3 goalkeepers that are head and shoulders better than Okoye, then Okoye needs to step aside and put in the work to get his spot back.
I feel Okoye will come good eventually. Most internationals start of nervously, but over time become proficient. Okoye is not quite the finished article yet, but he will get there. I wish we still had Ikeme, so Okoye can understudy him.
True sha @Pompei. I haven’t been monitoring his club performances. Thinking about it now, it’s not easy for a GK to be signed by a Premier league team. Let’s hope he comes good for the SE. Enyeama was like that until he saved those penalties against Tunisia in 2006.
Okoye is the best opportunity we have to build a good goalkeeper for the national team. We should learn to be patient. Dude is not there yet, but no one can say the boy is where he was two years ago in terms of confidence and quality. And why on Earth would someone blame him for the goal we conceded against CV? The real culprit was Ekong , not Okoye. He made safes in that match too. Let’s be fair to this guy. At the club level, most goals he has conceded were as a result of poor defending. And in the match against Serra Leone, things fell apart, not just for Okoye, but the entire defence line, immediately Balogun left the field. People should appreciate the kind of progress he’s made in the last two years. From a regional league in Germany as at 2019 to Eredivisie in Holland , not as a bench warmer, but a regular starter. That’s so huge to me. Are we better than the Ajax team that wanted him at a point when Onana was suspended? Do we know more than Watford, an EPL team, who forked out a record fee for a keeper to sign him ? Are these signs not telling us that this guy is making steady progress? Many of us are suggesting he should be dropped, but we fail to suggest for who? Adeleye isn’t super eagles worthy until at least we see him play in both friendly and competitive matches. Akpeyi has caused us a lot heart attacks in the past. Uzoho is just there picking the crumbs from the table in Cyprus. Or is it Ezenwa that is not even commanding a first team shirt in a weak Nigerian league? To me, Okoye, is the most active and relatively manageable goalie we have now. We need to support and encourage him. If he continues making career progress at the pace he’s making now, he would be another Enyeama in the nearest future. Remember, there was a time Vincent conceded 6 goals in a single CAF Champion League match! Remember there was a period he got substituted anytime his team had a penality shootout to deal with. But this guy ended up creating an African record in Ligue 1 (11 consecutive matches without conceding a single goal in 2013). In fact we are going to change Okoye, we should change the entire defence line. A goalkeeper is a good as the defence before him. We all remember the role Marko Bass and Simon Kjaer played in Lille defence that made Enyeama go 1,062 minutes without conceding a goal. If Ekong and co keep making school boy errors, then it will always appear Okoye isn’t a good keeper.
Papafem, lovely comment!
Even if I don’t agree with you, the way you articulated your position with facts and solid reasoning will always make me respect your opinion. Unlike some idiots who are waiting for Okoye to ripe, as if he is banana or plantain!
For the record, I do agree with every point you made. Every single point.
I especially want to emphasize something you said:
OKOYE IS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO BUILD A GOOD GOALKEEPER FOR THE NATIONAL TEAM.
My addition to this sentence of yours are the words FOR NOW.
Yes, for now. Because nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. We might discover another young, talented goalie tomorrow. But as you Papafem implied, our best chance of having another Enyeama AT THE MOMENT is Okoye.
There is nothing wrong in benching Okoye if there is someone better than him available. We can even exclude him from the squad, if we have 3 goalies that are above him. However, we need to continue to monitor and encourage the young man. Let him know that he remains a big part of our plans, and encourage him to keep improving.
As you mentioned, Enyeama conceded 6 goals in a match once. Some fools here would have said he was not ripe for SE back then. Thankfully, Enyeama was given a chance to grow, and look at what he became.
Enyeama actually earned his chance to grow, because he wouldn’t have been invited if he was not one of the best. That is why I’m a firm believer in merit based call ups. As long as we are committed to inviting only the best, we will be fine.
Hopefully, Okoye will keep learning and working hard, so he can also earn his opportunities to grow.
@ Papa, thank u very much sir.U’ve side it all. I reserved my comments. God bless u. Matter closed