OPINION
West Ham United made it three wins on the bounce as they overcame Crystal Palace 3-2 in what was a topsy-turvy affair at the London Stadium on Saturday.
Goals from Robert Snodgrass, Javier Hernandez and Felipe Anderson were enough to make strikes from James McArthur and Jeffrey Schlupp obsolete for the visitors.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side appear to be rounding into form again after a bit of a wobbly patch, and Saturday’s victory was the latest example of that fact.
As usual there is plenty to be gleaned from the contest, and Forever West Ham has identified three things that can be learned from the Hammers’ win.
Snodgrass’s revival is complete
Snodgrass’s West Ham career appeared to be dead and buried after he fell out with then-manager Slaven Bilic and was exiled on loan to Aston Villa.
However, a year later and the Scotland international is one of the first names on the team sheet for Pellegrini. He produced another industrious effort in the Hammers’ midfield on Saturday, and of course got the side back into the game with a terrific strike.
He combines a tireless work rate with enviable technical ability and that makes him invaluable to the club. He reminded everyone at the London Stadium of how far he has come, and why he is now almost undroppable for Pellegrini.
Anderson becoming new Payet
Speaking of players who are crucial to this West Ham team, Anderson was terrific once again against Palace. His goal was a world class effort that easily trumped Snodgrass’s fine strike.
The Brazilian is looking like the player he was expected to become when he first emerged at Lazio and, while his career in Italy fizzled out, he appears to be relishing being the main man in East London.
Not since Dimitri Payet have the Hammers had such a naturally gifted footballer in their ranks, and Anderson is well on his way to becoming the new Payet for West Ham. If he can continue to produce performances like he did on Saturday then it won’t be long before he matches the Frenchman’s stunning achievements for the club.
Noble needs a spell on the bench
Mark Noble is a terribly frustrating player. He alternates between an all-action midfield supremo to appearing invisible on the pitch. The Palace game firmly fell under the latter territory for the 31-year-old.
The Irons skipper could do with a spell on the bench to help him regain his focus and see where he could improve. There’s a fine example of midfield dominance at the London Stadium for him to witness, and a spot on the sub’s bench would give him a great vantage point to watch Declan Rice work.
The captain may well come back and produce an improved performance next time out, but it’s consistency that the team needs from him. Until he can achieve that he should sit some games out.
