TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook raves about Aaron Cresswell in first half of West Ham v Brighton
West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell nearly grabbed a brilliant assist in the first half of their clash at Brighton on Saturday night.
Cresswell, 31, made his third successive Irons start at the Amex Stadium against the Seagulls after missing April defeats against Chelsea and Newcastle United through injury.
He’s been a reliable performer at left-back or on the left-hand side of a back three his season, with his seven Premier League assists the most in the West Ham side.
Speaking on talkSPORT 2’s ‘GameDay Exclusive’ during live coverage of Saturday’s clash talkSPORT commentator Alex Crook was left drawing for the superlatives after a Cresswell corner was nearly forced home by Craig Dawson.
“That was absolutely sensational from Cresswell,” he said.
“I think Dawson will be disappointed he didn’t at least test Sanchez.”
That wasn’t the only dangerous corner he whipped into the penalty area, as fellow pundit David Connolly also remarked a few minutes later.
“That’s another quality ball from Cresswell,” he said.
Classy Cresswell
The Liverpool-born defender must have one of the most dangerously reliable left foots in the Premier League.
Cresswell has been an integral member of the first-team squad since signing from Ipswich in 2014, and he has shown his adaptability by slotting into the centre of defence.
But it’s at left back he’s at his most effective, swinging crosses in for fun for the likes of Michail Antonio and Tomas Soucek to get onto the end of.
Perhaps his greatest asset of them all though, is his ability from set-pieces.
His pinpoint deliveries are a massive feature of our play and we’ve profited plenty of times from them.
Dawson probably should have scored from one against Brighton but he couldn’t force an effort on target amid pressure from the home side’s defence.
But Cresswell wasn’t deterred by his teammates’s failure as he put another inch-perfect cross into the box just minutes after.
In other West Ham news, ‘I really like him’ – Moyes open to signing £66,000-a-wk ace who Noble admires.
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