West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has slammed his side after their defeat to Arsenal.
West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic has told BBC Sport that his side have lost intensity – even in training – as they lost 5-1 at home to Arsenal this evening.
The Hammers were desperately looking a positive result to kickstart their season, and will have been hoping that a London derby with rivals Arsenal was the perfect game to jolt them into life.
However, the Gunners ran riot at the London Stadium, as Mesut Ozil gave Arsenal the lead on 24 minutes before forward Alexis Sanchez took centre stage in the second half.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
The Chilean hit a 14 minute hat-trick in the second half, with his third coming after Andy Carroll and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had exchanged goals to make it 5-1 to Arsene Wenger’s side.
The result means West Ham sit just one point and one place above the relegation zone, whilst they’re now just three points clear of bottom club Swansea City.
West Ham United’s Winston Reid looks dejected after Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez scores their fifth goal to complete his hat trick
Manager Slaven Bilic is under pressure and ultimately facing up to a relegation battle, and he pulled no punches in his post-match interview with BBC Sport.
The Croatian slammed his players after the game, suggesting that the biggest difference between last season’s success and this season’s struggles is that they have lost their intensity – even in training sessions.
Bilic did though praise substitute Carroll, who made a goalscoring return to the side after almost four months out through injury, and thinks that West Ham can only benefit from the strikers comeback.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic before the match
“We have good spell in a game like we have good games in a season, but we can’t do it for 90 minutes,” said Bilic. “During the game, we lose composure, for me the difference between last year and this year is that we’ve lost intensity, and we’ve lost the determination that is needed and required to have a good season in the Premier League. We’ve lost it in training, we don’t have it all the time in training, and that’s why we don’t have it all the time in the games.”
“We have been missing from the start of the season, and we know what he is capable of doing and what he is basically doing every time he is available, either as a starter or as a game changer. Today, he came back and it’s good for him to score a goal – hopefully he is going to stay fit and West Ham can only benefit from it,” he added.
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