OPINION
Manuel Pellegrini will not have been delighted to be forced into a couple of changes in his West Ham team for the 2-0 defeat against Everton on Saturday.
Arthur Masuaku and Pablo Fornals came into the starting line up with both Andriy Yarmolenko and Aaron Cresswell dropping out at Goodison Park.
Football.London reported after the game that Cresswell missed out on the trip to Merseyside after picking up a “minor injury”, and isn’t expected to be out for too long.
The 29-year-old has been excellent since coming into the side earlier in the season and would have been one of the first names on the teamsheet if fully fit.
Masuaku did cement the left-back spot under Pellegrini until picking up a red card in the 0-0 draw against Aston Villa for picking up two silly yellow cards.
The Democratic Republic of Congo international was then forced to sit on the bench after that setback and watch Cresswell continue to impress.
Masuaku was given the chance against Everton and was tormented all afternoon by the likes of Bernard – something that will most likely see him back on the bench.
West Ham struggled to push forward in the game, and the usual attacking threat from the 25-year-old wasn’t there. Masuaku was disappointing on the ball, only averaging a 70.3% passing success rate according to WhoScored, not good enough in attack.
Cresswell’s impact in the final third has been pivotal behind his success, with his two goals against Manchester United and Bournemouth important up picking up points.
Should Cresswell return from his minor setback for the next game then he will surely be resting easy knowing that he will most likely be straight back into the side, and Masuaku can expect to be placed on the bench as quickly as he was drafted in on Saturday.
