The flair that has been brought into West Ham’s football this campaign has caught the eye of fans and pundits alike.
Rightly so, the attacking assets now at the club have drawn many of the plaudits, and on the surface, they have been responsible for propelling the team towards one of the most successful seasons in the past 30 years.
But behind all the flash football, quite literally, there has been a newly discovered resilience and defiance lead in no small part by one of the lesser lauded summer signings.
Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang has emerged as one of the silent success stories of the season.
At just 23-years-old, it is his first run in the Premier League. And far from appearing out of his depth, he has played with a composure and solidness that seems to rub off on the teammates around him.
With almost 150 senior appearances under his belt during his time at Sampdoria, Obiang is experienced beyond his years.
His role is very much to mop up the danger and play things simple. He has been shielding the backline expertly, and moves the passing quick enough to relieve the pressure.
And his maturity has certainly not gone unnoticed. Slaven Bilic now appears to favour him in the holding role ahead of the more senior figure of Alex Song.
The former Cameroon captain was hailed as the reason for The Hammers’ resurgence at the start of last season, but has failed to replicate the form on a regular basis.
His lethargic demeanour does not sit well with all fans, and his apparent apathy has almost proved costly on a number of occasions.
No doubt on his day he is world class. His performance against Manchester City showed that.
But what Obiang has shown is less is more. His back-to-basics methodology is similar to that of Michael Carrick, and it enables the likes of Payet, Antonio, Kouyaté and Lanzini to roam forward.
Song has proved he can marshal the midfield, but always plays in a way that suggests he wants to be more involved. His ability to play the incisive passes in and around the box was one of the reasons Bilic may have used him as a more attacking substitution against Everton.
That came at 2-0 down though, with nothing to lose. From the start of the game, it now seems Obiang is going to be the safe bet, and he will certainly revel in the role. He appears to have no ambitions to be more attacking, and that is ideal for his manager.
If his continued composure can last the run-in, his quiet effectiveness alongside the headline makers will earn the prize it deserves.
