Norwich vs West Ham United match report: Dimitri Payet value for money as Hammers hit back to steal a draw

Norwich 2 West Ham United 2

Mark Noble celebrates his equaliser for West Ham (Getty)

The contract signed by Dimitri Payet this week reportedly makes him the best-paid player in West Ham history at £125,000 a week. As his team battled back from 2-0 down to seize a point from struggling Norwich, he underlined why he is so highly valued.

The Frenchman scored West Ham’s first goal and set up the second as Norwich allowed what should have been a winning position to be wasted in the space of two minutes. The 28-year-old midfielder’s match-turning impact prompted West Ham’s manager, Slaven Bilic, to emphasise why he sees the signing as so important.

“By his standards he had a quiet 60 minutes but then he scored a goal, created a goal and then maybe creates two or three more chances,” Bilic said. “That tells you all you need to know about Dimitri Payet.”

Yet Norwich, with a much-improved performance after their run of five consecutive Premier League defeats – six in all competitions – should really have won after goals from Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan appeared to have secured them a precious three points.

With West Ham weary after their 120-minute FA Cup replay marathon against Liverpool in midweek and with three more players missing through injury, it was a chance to rebuild brittle confidence, yet Norwich blew it. They might have snatched victory in the last minute of added time when Sébastien Bassong’s effort was cleared off the line but, as their manager, Alex Neil, said, it should not have come to that: “We did better, but when you have a 2-0 lead you should be able to see the game out.”

Robbie Brady put Norwich ahead 10 minutes into the second half (Getty)

Not for the first time, after displaying much enterprise going forward, Norwich were undermined by dreadful defending. They have conceded 21 goals in the space of seven matches in all competitions.

They went ahead after 54 minutes after Michail Antonio was dispossessed by Brady, the Norwich left-back, who found the space to curl a right-foot shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Adrian and in off the underside of the bar.

After 65 minutes, Norwich punished the visitors again. A Steven Naismith shot was blocked by James Collins but the ball spun over the defender’s head and landed at the feet of Hoolahan, just onside, and he tucked the ball past Adrian.

Yet, having scored four goals but let in five against Liverpool at home last month, Norwich again were not strong enough to hold on to their lead. A powerful run by West Ham substitute Victor Moses created the first goal. Refusing to be knocked off the ball, he scrambled to his feet from the second of two strong tackles to get in a shot at John Ruddy, who saved but could push the ball only to Payet, who adjusted himself to get his foot over the ball and steer it into the net.

West Ham sensed Norwich’s panic. Andy Carroll, the other half of the double substitution, linked with Moses on the left to find Payet unmarked inside the home side’s box. The Frenchman looked up and delivered a superb pass for Noble, running through the middle, to blast home from the edge of the box.

Alex Neil could only watch from the sidelines as Norwich were forced to a draw (Getty)

With 14 minutes of normal time left, West Ham laid siege to the Norwich box, with those in green and yellow desperately trying to stave off another defeat as the Londoners pressed for a winner, Emmanuel Emenike going closest.

“You are never happy with a draw but we showed great character to come back,” was Bilic’s verdict.

Teams

Norwich: (4-2-3-1) Ruddy; Martin, Klose, Bassong, Brady; O’Neil, Howson; Redmond, Hoolahan (Dorrans, 84), Naismith (Olsson, 75); Jerome (Mbokani, 83).

West Ham: (4-1-2-3) Adrian; Byram, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Song (Moses, 62); Noble, Obiang; Antonio (Emineke, 69), Valencia (Carroll, 62), Payet.

Referee: Mike Jones.

Man of the match: Payet (West Ham)

Match rating: 7/10