Angelo Ogbonna wins West Ham award v Arsenal, wins back hearts after Liverpool mess
Angelo Ognonna’s defensive display against Arsenal earned him the Man of the Match award as West Ham defeated the Gunner 2-0.
With David Moyes choosing a preferred centre-back partnership of Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd, it has been a difficult season for the Italian defender. His performance in the 5-1 defeat to Liverpool in the EFL Cup looked to be the final nail in the coffin of Ogbonna’s career in East London.
However, the 35-year-old may have salvaged any remaining trust between himself, the manager and the fans, with a rock-solid display against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, with West Ham announcing him as their Man of the Match via Twitter on Friday (29 December).
A performance worthy of an award
Due to the Gunners’ dominance on the ball, the West Ham defence had to stand strong and stay focused, frustrating the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard.
Ogbonna won 50 per cent of his tackles, and made four blocks, six clearances and two recoveries, all while winning 100 per cent of his ground duels. He also managed to maintain an 83 per cent pass completion rate, as well as 100 per cent dribbling success. [FotMob]
The display was night and day from the Liverpool match when the defender captained the side to an embarrassing 5-1 loss to Liverpool as West Ham were knocked out of the EFL Cup.
Against the Reds, the Italian lost all composure, claiming the joint-lowest ranking anyone on the pitch, as per FotMob. His 29 per cent accuracy with long balls halted any Hammers counterattack, while his 0 per cent of ground duels won allowed several Liverpool players to ghost past him.
However, with 241 appearances for West Ham since his arrival at London Stadium in July 2015, Ogbonna has been a true servant at the club and is capable of continuing that despite his age, having proved his ability versus Arsenal.
The performance against Liverpool was just a one-off and Hammers fans should be able to trust him once again after a solid display on Thursday night.
In other West Ham news, Thilo Kehrer and Pablo Fornals want to leave with David Moyes open to exits.