Garth Crooks has selected West Ham United attacker Andriy Yarmolenko in his team of the week after the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Saturday.
The BBC pundit was specifically impressed with the way the Ukrainian continues to cut inside and bend strikes past goalkeepers with his left foot after scoring his third goal of the season against the Cherries.
Crooks highlighted how Yarmolenko is quickly becoming a fan-favourite with the Hammers’ faithful, as Manuel Pellegrini’s men extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to six games.
“This lad can bend balls around keepers for fun,” he wrote in his BBC column.
“Yarmolenko took his goal brilliantly once he turned Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake on the edge of the penalty area.”
“The Ukraine international has the ability to beat the goalkeeper once he is on his favoured left foot. He is also starting to become a firm favourite among the West Ham faithful.”
OPINION
Yarmolenko is making a bit of a habit of cutting on to his left foot and finding the back of the net, something the Hammers will no doubt be loving right now. Sometimes in games, you need that bit of magic, and if the Ukrainian can keep on finding space to unleash a curling effort, then the ball will end up in the net more times than not. The 29-year-old seems to get better as the games go on and completed two shots and key passes in the Bournemouth game on Saturday [WhoScored]. Yarmolenko has been one of the standout Hammers this season and is in the top-three for the most shots and key passes averaged per game, as he continues to prove his worth after returning from injury. Crooks is right to single out Yarmolenko for his efforts in the game, and Pellegrini will know that consistency will be key for the winger to continue his great form as the season goes on.
