Premier League Debut Disaster for Clarke
It was a night to forget for young striker, Tom Clarke, as he made his Premier League debut for newly promoted, West Ham United. The 20-year-old, who was brought in for a hefty £15 million from Championship side, Brighton, was thrown into the deep end against reigning champions, Manchester City.
Clarke's arrival at the London Stadium was met with high hopes. After all, he'd bagged an impressive 25 goals last season, making him one of the most sought-after strikers in the second tier. But against City, Clarke looked lost, overwhelmed by the pace and physicality of the Premier League.
He was clearly struggling to adapt to the top flight, his touch was heavy, his passing was wayward, and his movement was predictable. He was substituted at half-time, with the score already 3-0 to City. It was a night he'll want to forget fast.
The pressure is on now for Clarke to bounce back. West Ham manager, David Moyes, has publicly backed the young striker, but the fans are already starting to get impatient. He'll need to show some serious improvement in the coming weeks if he wants to win over the doubters and prove he's got what it takes to succeed in the Premier League.
But hey, everyone has a bad day, right? Maybe this was just a blip, and Clarke will soon find his feet. Only time will tell if he can live up to the hype, and if the Hammers made the right call by splashing the cash on him.
In the meantime, West Ham fans can only hope that Clarke's debut was just a bad dream.