Norwich’s midfield congestion.
With Howson, Hoolahan, Tettey and Dorrans all mingling in the centre of the park, Norwich had a number of options with which to scythe through the middle of West Ham. In the first half, these players – three quarters of Norwich’s midfield – spent more than 55% of their time in the middle section of the park, shuffling diligently forwards and backwards, congesting that crucial avenue from which most of the danger emerges. The glut of personnel in this area meant that options were always available, drifting menacingly as they were between the lines of West Ham’s midfield and defence. Largely, it worked well, and Norwich found a clever balance, threatening both on the break, and when given more considered time to plan their approach on the goal. With Noble setting a worrying tone with his early error, Bilic made certain to shore up his team’s soft-ish centre, removing Victor Moses and implanting the sturdy Obiang in the second half. It made West Ham appear instantly more stable, and provided a platform from which the Hammers launched their profitable late push.
