OPINION
By all accounts, Felipe Anderson has been a great success during his first year at West Ham.
The Brazilian has endeared himself to the East London locals with a season full of invention and flair, and has been rewarded for his efforts with 10 goals and five assists in all competitions.
In short, he has been one of the Hammers’ key creative talents during his debut campaign, and there will be much anticipation as to what he can pull out of the bag in his sophomore year at the London Stadium.
That excitement might just be amped up a little further after the latest report released on his running stats this year.
According to a report in the Liverpool Echo, citing data from Opta, Anderson clocked up a sprint speed of 35.11 km/h.
That makes him the seventh fastest player in the Premier League for the 2018/19 season, and really sheds light on what makes him such a crucial player for the Hammers.
Much is made of Anderson’s ability on the ball, and his 4.3 attempted dribbles per match, as quoted by WhoScored, makes for decent reading, but sometimes the pace at which he carries the ball is overlooked.
This is a player who can get from back to front in seconds, and who can singlehandedly turn a side on their heels with a driving run from deep.
In a league as physical and pacy as the Premier League, that can be an invaluable quality in an attacking player.
Anderson is a speed demon, and one who deserves more credit than he gets.
