Konstantinos Mavropanos’ equaliser in West Ham United’s late Premier League kick off against Manchester City was the first scored by a Hammers centre-back since that 2-0 win at Arsenal in December 2023.
The Greek giant will not have had many better weeks in English football.
Mavropanos fired West Ham into the FA Cup quarter-finals with a thunderous penalty kick in a tense shoot out against Brentford. Five days later at the London Stadium, West Ham United’s number 15 responded to Bernardo Silva’s clipped opener by soaring through the air and beating a flailing Gianluigi Donnarumma to Jarrod Bowen’s 35th minute corner kick.
Big Mavro steps up! 🇬🇷
Give us your reaction to a tense but encouraging first '45…
With his header rebounding over the line from the underside of the crossbar, Konstantinos Mavropanos became the first Hammers defender to score a goal in 86 Premier League games.
Konstantinos Mavropanos equalisers as West Ham United fight back vs Manchester City
His only other goal in 95 West Ham matches came against another top-flight powerhouse. Mavropanos secured a famous victory away at the Emirates in December 2023. It was James Ward-Prowse who provided the assist that day.
“Donnarumma just misjudged it. He’s come out, and he’s miles off that. A fantastic header from the big man!” former Hammers playmaker Joe Cole told TNT Sports. “He attacked the ball so well.
“I’m stunned that’s his first goal [in over two years]. I think there will be a few more goals from big Mavropanos in the coming years.”
“Good delivery [from Bowen] and he gets up at the back post. The goalie doesn’t cover himself in loads of credit,” agreed Rangers legend Ally McCoist.
“In normal circumstances, it’s [Tomas] Soucek you fancy getting on the end of those!”
City captain Bernardo Silva gave the visitors the lead in strange circumstances after a tense opening half hour devoid of clear cut chances.
The Portuguese may claim he meant it – his dink floated over Mads Hermansen before El Hadji Malick Diouf could react – but the looming presence of Erling Haaland at the back stick suggests otherwise.
Mavropanos’ equaliser might have come out of the blue – Man City had dominated until then – but it did coax some adventure and some belief out of a West Ham side who barely had a sniff for the opening 35 minutes.
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