Chance comparison
Despite losing the game, the visitors came out on top in most of the key performance metrics including shots (19 to West Ham’s 11), completed passes (507 to 250) and possession (64 per cent to 36 per cent).
However, the actual quality of our big chances as measured by xG was the lowest since a narrow victory at Brentford in October, with David Moyes’s side more efficient in carving out better opportunities from their fewer attacks and coming out with a shot conversion rate of 27 per cent, almost three times that of the Blues. Part of that was also down to individual mistakes handing the hosts the initiative, including the concession of a penalty and a speculative cross from Masuaka beating Mendy late on.
As the average positions graphic below shows, our shape was a little disjointed and the wing-backs less advanced than we have normally seen this season under Tuchel, with the attacking trio of Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Mount congested into a small central pocket. West Ham matched our shape and had joy in pushing Reece James and Marcos Alonso back.