West Ham United picked up all three points this past weekend after seeing off Manchester United 2-1 at the London Stadium and Troy Deeney awarded Edson Alvarez a place in his team of the week.
It took a late penalty from club captain Jarrod Bowen but the Hammers picked up their third win in arguably the biggest game of their season so far as boss Julen Lopetegui’s future looked to depend on it.
While the first half was dominated by the Red Devils, the East London club made changes and looked much improved during the second 45 minutes, much to the delight and relief of the fans.
Despite picking up goals, both Bowen and Crysencio Summerville did not make Deeney’s BBC team of the week, it was Mexican midfielder Alvarez who was awarded the position after a wonderfully composed and defensively sound performance.
Deeney stated: “Both midfielders were excellent. They were combative and did everything simple and well. In times when their games got a little bit ropey they stepped up, whether it be with a big tackle or calming the play down and winning fouls.”
Alvarez shines in midfield
This felt like Alvarez’s best performance of the season and the midfielder completed his first 90 minutes this season as a reward. He looked in control on the ball and even better without it, making life hard for United’s attacking players throughout.
The 27-year-old earned a 7.1 match rating from Sofascore, and boasted an impressive 90% passing accuracy from 48 attempts, three successful long balls from three attempts, three clearances, three interceptions and one blocked shot.
Defensive solidity in the midfield is going to be key for Lopetegui’s side moving forward and if they want to continue pushing up the table they will need more performances from Alvarez and his teammates.
If Alvarez can continue these performances it will allow Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus and Summerville to bomb forward without fear of a counter-attack catching them out of position.
There is still a long way to go before the Hammers are back to European contention, but performances like Alvarez’s are exactly what we need to get back there.
