Holders Manchester City knocked out of the Carabao Cup for the first time in five years with Phil Foden the only man to miss a penalty in shootout defeat by West Ham
On one of those rare occasions when Man City needed a little fortune on their side, it evaded them and out they went on penalties.
Phil Foden’s penalty was in keeping with a City performance that was below their usual standards and handed West Ham the initiative in a penalty shootout that they needed.
After Mark Noble converted before Foden’s miss, Jarrod Bowen, Craig Dawson, Aaron Cresswell were all accurate from the spot, paving the way for Said Benrahma to score the winning kick.
While his successful effort sparked delirium around the London Stadium, David Moyes was the coolest man in the ground, celebrating with an understand punch of the air.
Inside he must have been feeling very different.
‘You win some, you lose some,’ said West Ham coach Stuart Pearce, who unforgettably experienced all the emotions that come with penalty shootouts as an England player.
‘With the resilience of the team in our defensive work over 90 minutes and the honesty they showed, they deserved to get over the line.
‘It’s a really good night for this football club. Absolutely superb and the players deserve all the credit and I have to give some credit to our manager.
‘He drives this club on a daily basis and anyone approaching 1000 matches has to be taken very seriously and he has done a wonderful job at the club.’
Despite dominating, City failed to do enough to win the tie in 90 minutes and eventually paid the price.
They again started with a false nine and their fluid movement caused West Ham problems.
But so often when needed West Ham got a body in the right place at the right time.
On the occasions they did not, City’s finishing was wayward with Nathan Ake heading one of their better chances wide just before half-time.
West Ham spent most of the game diligently defending their goal but did have occasional flurries of activity at the other end.
During one at the start of the second half Arthur Masuaku fired over and then had a shot saved before Andriy Yarmolenko’s follow-up was blocked.
That sparked City into life. Alphonse Areola, who denied Palmer with his feet in the first half, acrobatically tipped away a John Stones header as the holders stepped it up again.
Areola also saved at the feet of Ilkay Gundogan and held onto a Raheem Sterling header during the second half while Tomas Soucek was unable to take two presentable opportunities that fell West Ham’s way.
And it was not until penalties that the two teams could be separated.