West Ham Stat Attack: Kanté Brilliant, Piroe Invisible & One Horrific Number

By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)

There are statistics which require interpretation and others which tell you almost everything you need to know. West Ham’s 2-2 draw at Millwall provided both.

The Hammers somehow had 66% possession during a dreadful first half yet created just 0.11 xG. Millwall, with barely a third of the ball, produced a staggering 2.90 xG before the break.

Then everything changed. West Ham produced 2.22 xG in the second half as Nuno Espírito Santo’s substitutions transformed a contest in which, as reflected in our player ratings from The Den, the Hammers had looked completely overwhelmed.

The Good – Kanté changes everything

Mohamadou Kanté’s red card was deserved and incredibly frustrating, but it shouldn’t disguise just how influential he was. The substitute produced three shots and 0.78 xG after coming on at half-time.

He scored with a superb low strike to make it 2-1 and might easily have scored another when following up Jarrod Bowen’s effort. Kanté brought exactly what West Ham had been missing: aggression, energy and a willingness to compete physically.

Divine Mukasa deserves huge credit too. The youngster won seven of his ten defensive duels and seven of 12 offensive duels. At a time when experienced teammates appeared overwhelmed by the occasion, Mukasa was prepared to scrap.

I thought taking him off was strange at the time, although it’s difficult to argue with Nuno’s changes given what followed. Pablo Felipe also deserves a special mention after giving Millwall’s defenders a physical battle, forcing a good save with a header and contributing to Kanté’s goal with his hold-up play.

That impact continued the improvement we saw after Pablo finally scored his first West Ham goal against Fulham.

The Bad – a goal papers over Mavropanos display

Konstantinos Mavropanos’ passionate celebration after heading home the equaliser was fantastic, and it was an enormously important goal. But it shouldn’t disguise what had happened beforehand.

Mavropanos completed only 40 of 49 passes, with just 14 of his 22 forward passes finding a teammate. He repeatedly surrendered possession and, more worryingly, was bullied at times by Lyndon Dykes.

The goal rescued both West Ham and, to some extent, Mavropanos’ afternoon. My immediate post-match assessment of Dinos was much the same: the equaliser rescued what had been heading towards a very low rating.

Joël Piroe’s numbers were even harder to defend. Yes, West Ham were dreadful at getting the ball anywhere near their striker, but Piroe still finished his 48 minutes with zero shots, zero progressive passes and zero passes into the final third.

He contested just one duel and lost it. When a game isn’t going your way, sometimes you have to forget about pretty football and graft. Piroe simply didn’t impose himself on the contest.

The Ugly – 66% possession and absolutely battered

This is the statistic I can’t get away from. West Ham had 66% of the first-half possession and Millwall had 34%, yet the Lions’ xG was 2.90 compared with West Ham’s pathetic 0.11.

That’s an extraordinary disparity and demonstrates perfectly why possession statistics can be completely meaningless without context. It also explains why I’ve wondered whether Millwall have provided the rest of the Championship with a blueprint for how to unsettle West Ham.

The second half also shows why Nuno deserves credit. I don’t blame him for starting with the attacking players who had just torn Wrexham apart 6-0. What manager wouldn’t?

What he couldn’t possibly have anticipated was how many West Ham players would crumble under the intensity of the derby. Nuno recognised what was happening, introduced Pablo and Kanté at half-time and added the physicality his team desperately needed.

The result was dramatic: West Ham went from 0.11 xG before the break to 2.22 afterwards.

I’ve had plenty of reasons to be annoyed with Nuno since he arrived at West Ham. This wasn’t one of them. His players let him down initially – and his changes dragged them back into the game.