West Ham United fans took to Twitter to praise Issa Diop after he stood in for Kurt Zouma against Leicester City this afternoon.
The 25-year-old Hammers defender was set to start the game against the Foxes on the bench this afternoon.
However, Kurt Zouma withdrew from the starting XI close to kick-off time due to illness.
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That meant that David Moyes moved Diop into his starting lineup against Leicester.
When the West Ham fans saw the news, the majority of us were devastated.
The Hammers signed Diop from Toulouse in the summer of 2018 for around £25 million (The Express). At the time, it seemed liked decent business for the East London outfit. As time has gone on though, it has looked like we were robbed by Toulouse!
Diop has been absolutely woeful this season. The 25-year-old has looked well off the pace when he has played for the Hammers.
His positional sense has been terrible and his decision making leaves so much to be desired.
Bearing all of that in mind, when it was announced that Diop was starting, many feared the worst.
The former Toulouse centre-back defied his critics, however, and put in a first-class performance against Leicester. No Zouma, no problem!
West Ham fans rave about Issa Diop display after he filled in for Zouma
The 25-year-old was absolutely everywhere at the back for the Hammers. He was extremely solid in the air and defend against the fleet-footed Patson Daka with incredible poise and maturity.
Diop provided the assist for Jarrod Bowen to break the deadlock as well.
The Frenchman made three interceptions, one block, two tackles and won two aerial duels. He also made three accurate long balls and registered a pass completion rate of 82.6% (Who Scored).
Diop certainly silenced his critics this afternoon. The most frustrating thing about the towering centre-back is that he has absolutely everything needed to become a top-class Premier League defender.
If he could just remain switched on at all times and maintain his composure, he could be a truly elite central defender.
The challenge for David Moyes will be to get a certain level of consistency from Diop. And if he can’t, the answer is simple – sell him.
Diop’s display against Leicester this afternoon will certainly give him a much-needed confidence boost.
Some West Ham fans took to Twitter in reaction to Issa Diop’s display against Leicester…
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