Something remarkable occurred in North London on December 28th 2023. Something momentous and unprecedented. David Moyes won at Arsenal.
Alas, the narrative that trumped this incredible event was the Gunners dropping points in the title race, so that duly got the headlines.
A winless spell over Christmas meant Arsenal slipped in the Premier League betting so of course the opposition manager ending one of the craziest curses in English football got pushed to the margins.
It was still a shame though, maybe even a travesty. Because for the first time in 72 attempts, a David Moyes team emerged victorious from visiting either Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United or Chelsea.
You read that right. Seventy-two attempts, a seemingly never-ending streak that encompasses virtually the entirety of Moyes’ managerial career.
It takes in many defeats and draws with Everton at the grounds of clubs that used to be referred to as the ‘big four’.
Similarly, with Manchester United there was unfailing disappointment, at best a resilient stalemate. The same thing happened at Sunderland. And during two separate spells with the Hammers.
In total it was a sustained Achilles Heel that amounted to 51 losses and 21 draws.
And then it mutated, the curse, because at some undetermined juncture it was noted that West Ham under Moyes – again across two spells – were incapable of winning away at any of the ‘big six’. Now Manchester City and Tottenham had been added to the ongoing jinx.
On 24 occasions the Irons travelled to Old Trafford, Anfield, North London twice-over, Stamford Bridge and the Etihad and left with a point at best, rarely even that.
What on earth was going on?
That curse was lifted on December 7th 2023 when a late James Ward-Prowse strike secured a precious win at Spurs. It meant that in the space of three weeks Moyes had slain two dragons. Relieved himself of two lead weights from around his neck. Hooray.
Except there is very little to celebrate here. Moyes is not an underdog figure but rather an elite coach who has taken the Hammers into the upper echelons of the Premier League for three of the last four seasons.
At Manchester United he had a squad at his disposal that cost hundreds of millions of pounds. At Everton he had them punching above their weight, perennial high finishers in the league.
Yet consistently down the years, his teams have blanched at the prospect of visiting a big team, at times coming unstuck, suffering misfortune. On other occasions they have curled into the foetal position and accepted their fate.
Why? Well the why is easy and can directly be attributed to Moyes and his inherent conservatism.
At home, his sides have little choice but to come out and show ambition. The baying hordes see to that. But away, one of the most cautious operators in the game sets his team up to contain, and consequently pays the price for it.
It’s the very definition of madness, to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results - it is a flaw that reflects poorly on an otherwise respected and decent coach.
While some might have hoped Moyes would be more proactive after lifting the curse, his betting outcomes in the second half of the 2023-24 campaign were no better than history suggested.
The win at the Emirates was followed by losses at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, and the Etihad Stadium.
It’s fair to say the Hammers fans invested enough time and money in the Moyes experience. He took them to great heights, after all, but his lack of ambition placed a firm ceiling on their achievements under his reign.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
