West Ham United head into today’s Premier League clash against Fulham off the back of some recent good form.
A 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last Saturday was followed by an excellent 1-0 win away to Anderlecht in the Europa Conference League, and it means that David Moyes’ men are going for three straight wins today.
There will more than likely be a number of changes to the starting XI ahead of the Fulham clash, but Moyes must unleash Angelo Ogbonna, who was excellent against the Belgian side but has yet to start a Premier League game in 2022/23.
Playing just his sixth match of the season, the defender was excellent on Thursday evening, receiving a SofaScore rating of 7.6, making him the highest-ranked player on the pitch in Brussels.
The £70k-per-week brute featured for the full 90 minutes and contributed by making two clearances, blocking three shots and making one tackle. He also won 80% of his duels during the game, showing his strength in one-on-one scenarios, and he wasn’t dribbled past once by Anderlecht players.
Even at 34 years of age, Ogbonna still has the necessary physical attributes to thrive at the highest level.
The Italian could be a better option against Fulham than Kurt Zouma, as he could be able to cope with the presence of Aleksandar Mitrovic. Indeed, Billy McKinlay praised Ogbonna earlier this season, saying that the veteran defender “brings a good physical presence” to the team.
With West Ham conceding nine goals in eight league matches, losing five of them, Moyes might fancy a change at the heart of the backline.
Summer arrival Thilo Kehrer was impressive against Wolves last weekend, making five tackles and four clearances from right-back; and with Zouma being the lowest-rated starting West Ham defender against the Old Gold with a SofaScore rating of 6.9, Ogbonna could be the ideal partner for the German today.
Whatever team the manager selects this afternoon, the Irons boss will expect his side’s good run of form to continue as they aim for their third consecutive win for the first time this season.
