£10.5m West Ham man under real pressure vs AZ Alkmaar tonight to prove sensational display was no fluke

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Tonight’s West Ham vs AZ Alkmaar Europa Conference League semi-final clash is a hugely important one for Thilo Kehrer.

West Ham play host to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg at the London Stadium tonight, and Thilo Kehrer is under a lot of pressure to perform.

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The 26-year-old German joined the Hammers from Paris Saint-Germain for around €12 million (£10.5 million) in the summer of 2022 (Football.London).

Kehrer has struggled for consistency since moving to the London Stadium, which is frustrating because he showed signs during the early stages of his West Ham career that he has the potential to be a top-class player.

The 26-capped Germany international did turn things around on Sunday by putting in a brilliant individual performance against Manchester United.

And now he has to back that up with another top display against AZ Alkmaar tonight…

West Ham man under real pressure vs AZ Alkmaar tonight to prove sensational display was no fluke

The 26-year-old defender put in a faultless performance against Manchester United on Sunday evening.

Kehrer had 41 touches, made three tackles, three clearances and won one aerial duel. He made 25 passes and recorded a completion rate of 88% (Who Scored).

He kept Marcus Rashford relatively quiet all game – that really is no mean feat considering the Manchester United attacker’s quality.

However, Sunday is history. What matters now is how Kehrer performs tonight against AZ Alkmaar. If the German puts in a top-class display then I’ll be confident that he will go on to be a big hit with the Hammers.

Should he go back to his old ways though, there will be a real inevitability that things just won’t work out for Kehrer at the London Stadium.

The West Ham vs AZ Alkmaar clash is vitally important for the club as a whole, but it is for Thilo Kehrer from an individual perspective as well.

Let’s hope that he passes the test with flying colours. With Vladimir Coufal currently out injured, the 26-year-old has a huge opportunity to shine now.

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