OPINION
West Ham lost 5-0 to Manchester City on Saturday and it’s fair to say not many members of Manuel Pellegrini’s squad could hold their head high after the game.
While Pep Guardiola’s side proved themselves to be a level above, which is hardly a surprise after they made it back-to-back league titles last season, it was clear there were some Hammers players who should have done better.
One of these players was none other than Jack Wilshere.
The 27-year-old raised expectations ahead of the clash with Man City by wowing in pre-season, so much so that Jack Collison even tipped a big season for the midfielder on Twitter, and yet on Saturday the weight of expectations well and truly crushed him.
Wilshere made only 27 passes, as per the Premier League, before being replaced by Robert Snodgrass in the 56th minute, and he failed to succeed with the only tackle he attempted.
The only thing going for the midfielder in the game was that he did manage to win three of his aerial battles, though he did nothing with the ball once he won it, and he did manage to win a fair share of his duels. (Source: Premier League)
Yet despite Manuel Pellegrini hauling him off the pitch, likely after being disappointed, Wilshere has a shot at redemption against Brighton next Saturday as it seems like he’ll play based on the latest reported injury update.
Dedicated Hammers website Claret & Hugh reported on Sunday that midfielder Mark Noble still has a dead leg and that he isn’t set to be able to train until Wednesday or possibly Thursday.
This means that Noble’s chances of being available to feature against Brighton are very slim, next to none you could say, and given that he is the obvious player to take Wilshere’s spot, then it’s likely he’ll be given another chance to impress.
While Snodgrass did replace Wilshere during Saturday’s clash, the 31-year-old is suited to playing on the flanks, hence why the majority of his career appearances have been made there, as per Transfermarkt, so you feel Pellegrini won’t risk playing him centrally from the start against the Seagulls.
Claret & Hugh’s injury report also stated that Wilshere came through the clash with Man City unscathed as while he was spotted limping, it was a result of a tough collision and he ran off the effects.
So with that all in mind, Wilshere will surely get a shot at redemption against Brighton and it’s a chance he must take.
