BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has saluted West Ham United defender Issa Diop for his performance against Fulham on Friday night.
The Frenchman produced a towering display as he led his team to a vital 3-1 victory at the London Stadium, getting himself on the scoresheet in the process.
Crooks was very impressed: “The Frenchman produced a similar performance away at Everton earlier in the season,” he wrote on the BBC Sport website. “This time his contribution was awarded with a brilliantly taken goal against a Fulham side who got what they deserved.
“What on earth was Ryan Sessegnon doing marking Diop on corners? Who was the bright spark that arranged that mismatch? Diop took total advantage of Fulham’s poor organisation. If you’re going to score your first league goal for the club, you might as well do it in front of your own supporters.”
OPINION
Crooks is right, having someone as diminutive as Sessegnon marking the colossal Diop at corners was always going to be a recipe for disaster, and so it proved from Fulham’s point of view. This was a big win for the Hammers after a tricky start to the New Year and it was players like Diop who helped lead them to it. The former Toulouse man has struggled somewhat since Fabian Balbuena’s been out injured, but if Friday was any indication he is very much back to his best. It wasn’t just his goal, though, his overall contribution to the game was stellar. He wasn’t perfect, but he dealt with most of what the Cottagers threw at him and got more comfortable as the night wore on. Diop’s been a big part of the progress that Manuel Pellegrini’s side have made this season and he’s going to be a huge part of the future of this football club.
