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Neville highlights Arnautovic’s foul on Hazard

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Image for Neville highlights Arnautovic’s foul on Hazard

OPINION

West Ham didn’t have a lot to celebrate in their 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.

The Hammers were woeful in the first-half of the match with the Blues and while they did improve in the second-half there still wasn’t much to write home about.

Yet there’s at least one West Ham player who deserves plaudits for his display against Chelsea and that is defender Ryan Fredericks.

The 26-year-old’s performance wasn’t perfect by any account but there were plenty of signs to suggest that the right-back was doing his best in what effectively was a trial by fire.

Fredericks constantly found himself with the task of dealing with an in-form Eden Hazard and while the playmaker did score twice, the way the right-back handled him showed what a capable defender he can be.

Gary Neville even noticed during the loss to Chelsea on how Fredericks did all he could when Hazard charged at him at one point in the first half.

The pundit revealed that when Hazard normally gets you in the box, you’re finished, yet he pointed out that Fredericks did the right thing by showing him the line.

“I always think with Hazard once he’s got you in the box, you’re done, you’re finished,you’re hoping, you’re guiding him one way” said Neville during West Ham’s 2-0 loss to Chelsea (Sky Sports Premier League, Monday April 8th, 20:55).

“I think Fredericks does all he can as he is showing him down the line but then Arnautovic comes in with what I can only describe as clumsy.

“He’s got this low centre of gravity and he actually invites the foul, he’s the best player in the league at winning fouls as well, his position is fantastic.”

Fredericks has proven he is a great attacking outlet for the Hammers due to his pace, which he showed glimpses of on Monday, but whether he is defensively good enough for the Premier League has been questionable.

Yet Neville’s remarks on how he handed Hazard in one moment of the game prove the 26-year-old has the know how and that’s before you take into account that he made several fantastic blocks throughout the game to deny the Blues’ a greater win.

With this in mind, the Hammers 26-year-old deserves to go down as one of the few positives from the loss against Chelsea as the right-back stepped up to silence his doubters.

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