The Premier League echoed in its X account (former Twitter) a revealing fact: West Ham led (0-1) after half an hour in Brighton with a goal from Ward-Prowse… and 13 passes completed! The ball belonged to the ‘Seagulls’ and the ‘Hammers’ commanded the scoreboard of a match that they ended up winning (1-3) to provisionally place themselves leaders of the English League.

“I wouldn’t say it was a perfect game because I would have liked to have had more of the ball, but the game plan was not to chase them. We knew we had to wait and that we were going to cause problems on the counterattack,” David Moyes revealed. West Ham has always been a team of cons since the Scotsman arrived in 2019 (42.1% possession and an average of 385 passes per game last Premier) but in this start they have taken it to the extreme.

I wouldn’t say it was a perfect match because I would have liked to have had more of the ball

David Moyes, West Ham manager

In the first three days, the ‘Hammers’ have been the ones that have had the least ball (28.3% on average) and the ones that have given the fewest passes (246) in the English League. Still, they are a hammer: their seven points out of nine after beating Chelsea (3-1) and Brighton (1-3) and drawing (1-1) against Bournemouth place them secondtwo of a Manchester City in the antipodes in their game against the London team.

Mentally, it’s a challenge when you don’t have the ball.

James Ward-Prowse, medio del West Ham

“Mentally, it’s a challenge when you don’t have the ball. We denied Brighton spaces and we were compact and effective,” he said. Ward-Prowse. The sale of its leader and star (Declan Rice) this summer to Arsenal for 116.6 million euros! It served for the current Conference champion to reinforce his average. And the ex from Southampton landed for 34.8 ‘kilos’ and the ex from Ajax Édson Álvarez (38) and Kudus (43). Three outstanding footballers to improve your engine room and perfect your plan.

This is how West Ham moves (data from IA Comparisonator)

They beat Chelsea (3-1) with 24.3% possession and 227 passes (716 completed by the ‘blues’) and Brighton (1-3) with 22% and 208 shipments (749 from the ‘Seagulls’ ). In fact, they finished the first half against De Zerbi’s men with only 31 passes completed, the second lowest mark since Opta data was available (2003-04), only surpassed by Watford against Portsmouth in November 2006.

“They were ruthless and played devastating counter-attacking football. They didn’t control the ball (they had an average possession of 19% in many phases) but they didn’t need it”, reflected the journalist Joe Rindl on the ‘BBC’. With Bowen (two goals) and Antonio (two other) flying while Ward-Prowse He throws at them, West Ham is triumphing in the Premier with counters. And behind they are a wall. “We defend a lot and very well. Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s part of football. Not everything is attacking”, said a Moyes who is ‘passing’ the ball. And it works for him.