OPINION
West Ham had a rather good day at the office on Tuesday as they secured a comfortable 3-1 win over Cardiff at the London Stadium.
Summer signing Lucas Perez netted a brace to send the Hammers on their way to yet another victory, with Michail Antonio netting the team’s third to all but seal all three points for the hosts.
Manuel Pellegrini sent out a team of attacking prowess to face the Bluebirds in this midweek clash, and while it was a largely positive performance on the whole, there were still plenty of talking points to take away.
Forever West Ham has rounded up three things learned about the Hammers after their win against Cardiff on Tuesday.
Perez proved the doubters wrong
Even though Lucas Perez did not actually start the game – he replaced Marko Arnautovic in the 40th minute – he actually performed rather well for once. In fact, the 5ft 11in [Transfermarkt] player proved many of his doubters wrong during this match, and for that, he must be commended. His brace pretty much secured the win for the Irons, and the fact that he netted twice in nine minutes is rather impressive in itself. They were two very well-taken goals, one of them being a superb through-ball provided by Robert Snodgrass. These goals were his first two in 700 days – and they most definitely looked like that they were worth it.
Masuaku is struggling
Another game, another day Arthur Masuaku fails to leave a positive lasting impression on the fans. He has largely blown hot and cold this season, and it is hard to pinpoint exactly why that is. Nevertheless, he definitely blew cold in this fixture as he struggled to do his defensive duties effectively. The 2016 signing flopped miserably and that will be a major concern for Pellegrini, especially with Aaron Cresswell currently sidelined. On the whole, it has been a rather disappointing evening for the 25-year-old – but he only has himself to blame doesn’t he?
Snodgrass looks like a new signing
Who would have thought this time last year that Snodgrass would have made the impact that he has done this season? In fact, he looks like a new signing for West Ham, and that has only been solidified by his magnificent performance against the Bluebirds. They just could not handle his excellent ability and creativity that led to two of the Hammers’ goals, and Pellegrini will no doubt be giving himself a pat on the back for giving the Scotland international an opportunity to prove himself this term. He has certainly done that tonight, and it will be hard to see him dropped from the team any time soon – all he has to do now he is keep up the good work.
