In the absence of a pitcher, West Ham encounters a trophy mishap in Liverpool.
Presently, West Ham isn't seeing action for Niclas Füllkrug or his latest English team. The German international is nursing an injury. Conversely, West Ham is enduring another hardship. Meanwhile, the vibe among his German teammate Kai Havertz is quite distinct.
In the absence of injured German national striker Niclas Füllkrug, West Ham United suffered a hefty defeat in the 3rd round of the English League Cup, falling 1:5 (1:1) to FC Liverpool. A own-goal by Jarell Quansah gave West Ham a lead in the 21st minute. Subsequently, the Portuguese Diogo Jota (25/49), the Egyptian Mohamed Salah (74), and the Dutchman Cody Gakpo (90/90+3) netted for Liverpool. West Ham's Edson Alvarez was shown a red card (77).
Füllkrug had transferred to West Ham from Borussia Dortmund this season but missed the London derby against FC Chelsea (0:3) last weekend due to Achilles tendon inflammation. West Ham has lost four matches in a row.
Meanwhile, FC Arsenal advanced to the quarter-finals thanks to Havertz's involvement. In the 3rd round, the Gunners outplayed Bolton Wanderers 5:1 (2:0) at home, keeping the title within reach. Arsenal last won the League Cup in 1993. Manager Mikel Arteta rested several key players, including Havertz. Declan Rice started the scoring (16), and youngster Ethan Nwaneri scored twice (17/37). Aaron Collins narrowed the gap (53), but new recruit Raheem Sterling reestablished the lead with his first goal for Arsenal (64). Havertz entered the fray in the 62nd minute and completed the scoring (78).
Given West Ham's current struggles with Niclas Füllkrug's injury, I'm not sure if the team will be able to turn things around soon. Despite Kai Havertz's impressive performances with FC Arsenal, the situation seems quite different for West Ham.
