West Ham United beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 last night, and one Hammer in particular would have been really concerned after the match.
Tottenham took the lead inside the first 11 minutes but West Ham fired back in the second-half with goals from Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse.
It was an incredible turnaround from the Hammers after half-time, and Bowen explained how David Moyes let his players have it during the interval – something that eventually helped turn things around for us.
Each and every player put in a real shift in the second-half, and played with real courage and conviction.
Emerson Palmieri was the standout performer for West Ham in my view, but Lukasz Fabianski was another one who had a fantastic game.
And Alphonse Areola would have been watching on from the sidelines thinking, ‘Isn’t this just typical’?
West Ham player now has a tough job after Tottenham win
Areola missed last night’s game because of a slight wrist injury, with Fabianski filling in for him.
The 30-year-old was brought to the London Stadium on a permanent deal for around £11 million in the summer of 2022, and he usurped the Pole as the Hammers number one Premier League goalkeeper at the start of this season.
Fab has been our cup ‘keeper this season, and has performed admirably on the whole, but last night he kicked it up a level, and put in a top-class performance.
Crucially, our defence looked so much more organised with the 38-year-old behind them between the sticks.
During the game last night, Fabianski faced six shots on target, letting in just one of them and making five saves (Fbref).
The experienced stopper’s communication skills are on another level to those of Areola, and Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd looked more more comfortable playing just in front of him.
He oozed coolness and composure when he needed it the most in the final 20 minutes of the game last night. I was absolutely delighted with his display for West Ham in north London against Tottenham.
However, Areola now faces the devil’s own job if he is to force his way back into the starting XI for the Premier League games. What a time for the Frenchman to pick up an injury.
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