West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna has talked up his central defensive partnership with Issa Diop, whufc.com reports.
The Hammers have been forced to play Ogbonna and Diop at centre-back for the past few weeks with other contenders injured.
And despite initially suffering some criticism, Ogbonna’s performances have improved in recent weeks.
However, as soon as Fabian Balbuena returns to action, Ogbonna should expect to lose his starting spot again.
Angelo Ogbonna on his partnership with Issa Diop
Ogbonna believes that he is working well alongside Diop in central defence and that the two players complement each other.
The Italian defender told the club’s official website: “It is very good between Issa and myself. We have adapted so quickly to everything and I think we work well together. We can fight, we can pass the ball and help the team to play.”
Why Fabian Balbuena is first-choice
Despite Ogbonna’s praise for his partnership with Diop, Manuel Pellegrini is probably likely to drop him when Balbuena returns.
The Paraguay international and Diop are the first-choice pairing in central defence but injury has forced Ogbonna into the side.
A statistical comparison between Balbuena and Ogbonna shows why this is the case (stats via the Premier League’s official website).
Balbuena has kept three clean sheets in 17 games, as opposed to one for Ogbonna.
And Ogbonna’s tallies of seven blocks, 22 interceptions, 19 tackles and 57 clearances are eclipsed by Balbuena’s 10 blocks, 41 interceptions, 18 tackles and 123 clearances.
Ogbonna leads Balbuena in winning aerial duels (54 to 51) but the latter’s numbers clearly show an overall superiority in defending.
Pellegrini is likely to restore Balbuena to the starting line-up with Ogbonna set to drop when he returns.
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