The greatest penalty shootout since Gillingham

• I thought City, for the ninety minutes at least, were woeful. Everything good about the West Ham performance was gone. Vigour had been replaced by sloth, courage by timidity, precision by fecklessness. To come away with a victory was a smash and grab raid that would embarrass Liverpool.

• The drama! I can't remember a game as exciting as that for ages. I'm not knocking the great wins of 2007/08, particularly the two derby wins, but the dynamic for those was slightly different. I've just looked through a few years of games on the website, and nothing springs to mind. Maybe the 4-3 at Spurs four and a half years ago?

• Our solution to the problem of having too many defenders is no solution at all. Richards gave it his all, but simply isn't a top class midfielder. Replacing Corluka with Zabaleta will not solve this. Ben Haim at left back anyone?

• Having played four UEFA Cup matches so far this season, and not living up to expectations (or, at least, my expectations) in any of them, I'm beginning to think we are not a team constructed to play in the competition. Last year's team maybe. The caution in possession, the lack of bite, the manager who'd won a UEFA Cup and a Cup Winners' Cup. We could, in theory, have done something. But this is a different team. And let's not forget Hughes was embarrassed by Larissa this time last year. I was hopeful of getting as far as Everton or Spurs did last year, but now, I can't see it.