West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says Andre Ayew’s performance against Tottenham was a “big plus” for the Hammers heading into the game against Crystal Palace tomorrow.
The Ghanaian international’s second half brace provided the platform for West Ham to complete a stunning comeback in the Carabao Cup fourth round tie.
Bilic says it is no coincidence that Ayew scores the type of goals he does, instinctively knowing where the ball will drop and putting away chances from close range. Writing in his column for the Evening Standard he said:
“I was very pleased for Andre Ayew on Wednesday night. Most of the goals he has scored for us have been like the pair he scored at Wembley. It’s not luck, he thinks about it and can find that precious space in a crowded box. He worked very hard also in the second half, as did Andy Carroll. I have said to the players that, in every game or training session, they finish with a plus or a minus, and Andre was definitely a big plus on Wednesday.”
If Ayew does start versus Palace, it will be interesting to see who will be left out from the last league game against Brighton. Bilic goes on to say that he is a big fan of the three man defence he used against Tottenham so this could suggest that the Croatian will opt for the same system again, and use the Ghanaian forward in a front two, alongside either Andy Carroll or Javier Hernandez. It could mean one of these two strikers could miss out on starting, while Marko Arnautovic’s place looks very uncertain indeed.
