West Ham United lost 1-4 to Manchester City in the 20th round of the English Premier League on January 5th. After the match, West Ham United manager Lopetegui faced the Sky Sports camera and analyzed the whole match in detail.
Lopetegui said bluntly: "The complexity of this game cannot be fully explained in words. We created a lot of good chances, but unfortunately we failed to convert them. It was the details that made the difference, and that was the core reason for our defeat. City's first goal was a bit of a fluke, but it's a reminder that no small detail on the pitch can be ignored."
Speaking about City's second goal, Lopetegui believes it was a heavy blow for West Ham United: "That goal showed great tactical quality and we still have room for improvement. A careless mistake in defense gave City the opportunity to take advantage of it. We have to learn from that and improve our defense."
Lopetegui had this to say about City's third goal: "It was a typical fast counter-attacking goal, and we had a breakdown in the defensive transition. For every goal we conceded, we have room for improvement. Although we had good possession, in terms of details and individual performances, we were at a slight disadvantage. That's where we need to improve."
Despite the 4-1 defeat, Lopetegui didn't dismiss the team's performance: "What I conveyed to the players is that if they don't take advantage of their chances to attack, the opponents will win. We had a few chances to attack today, but unfortunately we couldn't convert them into goals. Even so, I think there were a lot of good performances, even when we were behind, which is especially rare."
Looking ahead, Lopetegui said, "We have to learn from this game and enhance our performance when it matters. At the same time, we have to be more solid in offense and defense. I believe we have the ability to do this and will continue to work towards this and be ready for the next game."
