Despite the best efforts of a super-sharp Jarrod Bowen and Axel Disasi’s last minute equaliser, there was no taking the Man of the Match award away from West Ham United winger Adama Traore following the FA Cup defeat by Leeds.
To quote Joe Cole, who was a Premier League champion with Chelsea the last time the Hammers reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 2006, Traore was ‘superb’ in Crysencio Summerville’s continued absence down the left-hand side.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s ‘best player’, per Ally McCoist on TNT Sports’ live coverage of a sprawling, Lord of the Rings-length blockbuster of an encounter which seemed like it would never end.
Pick your West Ham Man of the Match!
And when Hammers News put the question to our TalkingPoint users – who was West Ham United’s stand-out performer at the London Stadium – 57 per cent of you voted for Adama Traore.
Suddenly, that £2 million January deal looks more ‘masterstroke’ than ‘madness’.
Adama Traore was West Ham United’s ‘best player’ vs Leeds
Traore finishes 36 per cent ahead of Disasi in second place.
At the time of writing, Tomas Soucek and Mateus Fernandes are battling it out for the final spot on the podium. Jarrod Bowen, despite hitting the post twice and sparking that stoppage-time comeback via Fernandes’ 93rd minute tap-in, finishes fifth.
“Adama was my man, it felt like we had hope when he had the ball. It should have been a red card when he was tripped,” one fan writes, in relation to Ethan Ampadu’s Achilles-raking lunge to stop a barrelling Traore counter-attack.
“It was obvious and meant, he was running at full pelt leaving his marker for dead.
“Traore played excellent throughout the match,” another agrees. “Best player on the park.”
What did you make of Adama Traore’s performance?
Has he won you over?
“Traore was superb, as was Disasi and [El Hadji Malick] Diouf. Soucek, when he came on, bought some energy and order in the midfield but Fernandes covered every blade of grass. I thought he was outstanding.”
“Adama Traore was brilliant.”
“He looked dangerous every time he had the ball. His skill got him out of tight situations and got a few nice crosses in. Man of the Match for me.”
“Definitely Adama Traore for my Man of the Match. Wow, what an improvement. Maybe one Traore does make a Summerville!”
“Amazing. Great dribbling and crossing. All he was missing was an assist. We were very, very unlucky, hitting the woodwork three times. But a gutsy, gritty comeback. Now, let’s make sure we stay up!”
Captain Bowen called Traore’s performance ‘brilliant’ at full-time. And for all those suggesting it was something of a throwback to the winger’s lung-busting days under Nuno at Wolves, it should not be forgotten that Traore provided seven Premier League assists at Fulham last season.
Talk of the Barcelona graduate’s demise may have been somewhat exaggerated.
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