With David Moyes departing West Ham United in the summer, many fans were hopeful that the arrival of Julen Lopetegui would mark the beginning of a new chapter for the club.
Yet, while some changes have occurred, certain aspects remain the same, particularly the form of Michail Antonio, who is beginning to look like a fading figure from the club’s recent past.
The Hammers have had a mixed start to their Premier League campaign, suffering home defeats to Aston Villa and Manchester City, but securing a crucial away victory at Crystal Palace.
They also progressed in the League Cup with a win over Bournemouth. However, their performance against Fulham at Craven Cottage left much to be desired, with Antonio’s form a particular concern.
In a match where West Ham laboured for long spells, it seemed Fulham were heading for a narrow 1-0 victory after Raúl Jiménez’s 24th-minute strike put the hosts in control.
Jiménez, capitalising on a move involving Emile Smith Rowe and Sasa Lukic, fired home clinically to give Fulham a deserved lead.
West Ham struggled to find a response and were largely second-best until a dramatic final twist. Danny Ings, brought on as a substitute, rescued a point for the Hammers with a last-gasp equaliser in the 95th minute.
It was a moment of relief for Lopetegui, but also one that raised questions about the performances of certain players, none more so than Michail Antonio.
Antonio’s performance against Fulham was one to forget. He received a dismal 6.3 rating on SofaScore, making him the worst-performing player on the pitch. When analysing his contribution, it’s easy to understand why Lopetegui decided to take him off at half-time.
During his 45 minutes on the field, Antonio was a shadow of his former self. He posed little threat in front of goal, registering just one shot, which was blocked, and his xG (expected goals) for the match stood at a paltry 0.02. This underlined just how ineffective he was in the attacking third.
Beyond his struggles in front of goal, Antonio’s overall play left much to be desired. His passing was poor, completing only seven of his 10 attempts, giving him a pass success rate of 70 per cent.
He also failed to complete either of his two attempted crosses and managed just one successful long pass out of two.
Worse still, Antonio lost possession 12 times during the game – only Lucas Paquetá lost the ball more frequently for West Ham, and like Antonio, he was also withdrawn at half-time.
Antonio’s off-the-ball performance was equally disappointing. Once known for his ability to cause havoc with his relentless pressing and physicality, the 34-year-old looked off the pace.
He failed to win a single ground duel out of four attempts and didn’t succeed in either of his two aerial battles. Moreover, he didn’t win a single tackle, make any interceptions, and was dribbled past once.
Adding to the ignominy, Antonio had just 22 touches during the match, 15 fewer than West Ham’s goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
Reflecting on Antonio’s performance, it’s clear that he let Lopetegui down. The forward, who earns £85,000 per week, can no longer rely solely on his past reputation at the club.
The fact that Danny Ings came off the bench to score a crucial equaliser, and with the recent arrival of Niclas Füllkrug – sidelined with an injury for now – Antonio cannot afford many more sub-par displays like this.
If he continues in this vein, his days as a regular starter at West Ham may soon come to an end.