West Ham kept a clean sheet without Issa Diop and now he faces a battle to get back into the team.
Diop’s suspension meant that Manuel Pellegrini was forced into making a defensive change. Fabian Balbuena partnered Angelo Ogbonna at the back to keep a clean sheet at Stamford Bridge.
Without Diop, the Hammers nullified a free-scoring Chelsea side. Aaron Cresswell’s goal ensured all three points headed from West London to East London.
Diop to miss out at Wolves?
Balbuena and Ogbonna have not played together all too often but they formed a formidable partnership at the back. The Paraguayan and the Italian did enough to block Chelsea’s attacks – especially when they were chasing the game at the end.
Diop has been a regular under Pellegrini since his summer 2018 move from Toulouse. The 22-year-old Frenchman is usually a guaranteed starter alongside either Balbuena or Ogbonna.
West Ham fans now think that Diop will struggle to get back into the team. With a tough test against Wolves coming up, Balbuena and Ogbonna should retain their starting spots. Here are some tweets about the situation.
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