Troy Deeney blown away by what Edson Alvarez did in West Ham win v Manchester United
Troy Deeney was blown away by Edson Alvarez as West Ham secured a dramatic 2-1 victory against Manchester United on Sunday (27 October).
The Mexican midfielder struggled to adapt to the pace of the game at the London Stadium, though he was far more comfortable after Julen Lopetegui’s trio of substitutes at half-time.
Crysencio Summerville finally broke the deadlock before Casemiro got the visitors back on level terms, only for Jarrod Bowen to fire home from the penalty spot following a contentious VAR decision.
Writing about Alvarez and Nottingham Forest’s Ryan Yates via BBC Sport, Deeney said: “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.
“They were excellent and two players who epitomised their teams in their necessity to find a win. West Ham needed that win against Manchester United and it was a good result for them.”
Edson Alvarez wows in West Ham United win v Manchester United
Alvarez has experienced a difficult start to the new campaign under new management, with Lopetegui often choosing to utilise Guido Rodriguez and Tomas Soucek in the middle of the park instead.
While his first 45 minutes at the London Stadium this weekend were nothing special, he was able to stay strong-willed for the second half after Lopetegui made the correct changes to his setup.
The Hammers were being overrun in the middle of the park, and with Alvarez lacking the necessary pace, his passing ability, strength on the ball and defensive prowess was superior at the back.
Despite a dominant first half, the Red Devils were reduced to limited chances, with players often taking strikes from distance after the Hammers parked the bus for portions of the game.
A stable defence provides a platform for Bowen, Summerville, Mohammed Kudus and Michail Antonio to attack the counterattack, and while this sounds like David Moyes’ style of play, issues still need to be addressed.
The team has been leaking far too many goals under the new manager, which was already an issue with Moyes, and Alvarez’s position change could help solve that.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers could reignite their interest in a form Premier League-winning manager after a recent Fabrizio Romano update.
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