Alphonse Areola was back in the West Ham United goal during the FA Cup fifth-round tie with Brentford, and it’s fair to say he enjoyed his return between the sticks.
Areola telegraphed Dango Ouattara’s awful Panenka penalty; simply standing still and allowing the ball to fall gracefully into his arms.
Brentford boss Keith Andrews defended his forward after West Ham United showed Ouattara how it’s done with five perfect spot-kicks. Ouattara, Andrews says, ‘practices that technique a lot’. Unfortunately for him, Alphonse Areola saw it coming a mile away.
We win it on pens 😎 Do you fancy us to beat Leeds and book a trip to Wembley?!
Alphonse Areola hopes to keep FA Cup charge going at West Ham United
With Mads Hermansen given the night off, the veteran Frenchman excelled on his return to the XI.
And, speaking after West Ham ended a ten-year wait for an FA Cup quarter-final spot, Areola acknowledged that a prolonged run in the competition is not only great for the club, but great for him too considering Hermansen is now Nuno’s pick for the Premier League.
“It’s nice to be involved,” says Areola, clearly not the type to throw his toys out the pram behind the scenes. “Even when you don’t play, you try to stay involved because it’s a team sport. Credit to the guys because we are in a great moment.”
Nuno has applauded Areola for remaining professional on the training ground and helping Hermansen to hone his talents.
The 33-year-old is obviously a very handy character to have around the place, even when he’s not in the team.
“It’s always good to keep competing. It’s something to win,” Areola adds. “It’s been tough this season, but there’s something to win at the end. Obviously, the objective is to get out of that [relegation] zone in the league, but we’re still on the run to try to win something again.”
“Credit to the guys that took the pens and to the team that were unbelievable as well [with a] positive attitude. Credit to the ‘keepers, we worked together on the pens just before the game.
How do you feel about Mads Hermansen NOW? 🇩🇰 🧤
Has he won you over? Or are there still doubts?
“I went down the tunnel [before the shoot-out] because I had to go to the toilet! I drank too much water during the game and half-time. Then obviously, [goalkeeper coach] Ed Wootten was with me and we were just chatting.
“The secret [to saving Ouattara’s effort], we have seen him chipping the ball in a different game and tonight was the night for me.”
“It was a long night. I mean, three games in the cups and three times [vs QPR, Burton and now Brentford] it’s gone until the last minute! It was a great night, great atmosphere. The fans were unbelievable tonight. We’re in a great moment and I think that helped tonight as well.
“There are details that obviously we can erase but, tonight, we have to enjoy.”
How do you feel about Mads Hermansen NOW? 🇩🇰 🧤
Has he won you over? Or are there still doubts?
Alphonse Areola a shot-stopper turned DJ at the London Stadium
He might have lost his spot as their go-to Premier League glovesman, but Areola is embracing his new role as squad DJ.
“They’re already playing my DJ set [in the dressing room]!” laughed the former Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain stopper. “All the things that I do out of football help me to stay focused, to keep my head fresh, and to get to training and give everything.
“As I said, the team is the most important, so keeping that positivity at home helps me a lot.”
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