Troy Deeney hails ‘phenomenal’ West Ham duo who excelled in draw vs Bournemouth
Troy Deeney was hugely impressed by two of West Ham’s stars in the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Despite throwing away a two-goal lead, West Ham‘s point has proven to be a valuable one against a team that completely dominated them throughout the second half.
The Hammers are now three games unbeaten under Nuno Espirito Santo, and there is huge optimism that they can avoid relegation from the top flight under his stewardship.
West Ham’s draw to Bournemouth leaves them 17th in the Premier League table, and that is in large part thanks to Callum Wilson and Alphonse Areola.
Callum Wilson and Alphonse Areola given huge praise
The result on 22 November marked the ninth consecutive game that Bournemouth have failed to beat West Ham, and that is completely down to Areola’s brilliance.
Deeney named both Areola and Wilson in his Premier League Team of the Week, and was hugely impressed with both of their performances.
Regarding Areola, the BBC Sport pundit said: “West Ham could have been six goals down at Bournemouth if it wasn’t for him. Massive moment, stepped up and showed some quality.
“Some top goalkeeping to earn them a 2-2 draw. Defeat could have dismantled their whole season.”
| Stat | Alphonse Areola |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Saves | 10 |
| Goals prevented | 2.49 |
| Saves inside box | 8 |
| Punches | 3 |
| High claims | 3 |
| Recoveries | 12 |
At the start of the season, Mads Hermansen’s arrival from Leicester spelt trouble for the French goalkeeper’s first-team minutes.
However, due to the Dane’s poor performances, Areola has been given another chance by Nuno, and he is seizing it brilliantly.
Areola’s mistake against Burnley on 8 November has been completely overshadowed by what he did on the south coast, which included providing an assist for Wilson’s first goal.
Of course, Wilson was the man who got all the headlines against his former club, and his brace signalled the value he can bring to the squad.
Callum Wilson repays Nuno Espirito Santo’s faith vs Bournemouth
Wilson was finally trusted by Nuno in the win over Newcastle after being brutally snubbed during the 2-0 loss to Brentford at the London Stadium.
Having registered 115 goal contributions in the top flight, Wilson is no stranger to digging his team out of trouble, and he did this excellently against the Cherries.
His first goal came from Areola’s long ball, which he controlled brilliantly with his chest before unleashing a volley that Djorde Petrovic couldn’t keep out.
His second strike was a half-volley on the turn, and his goalscoring threat certainly hasn’t diminished over the years.
Deeney added: “I said he doesn’t look his normal self. He looked like he’d lost a yard. But wow. That’s all I can say. He was excellent. Phenomenal in his approach and with his two finishes.”
With Wilson firing, the Hammers should feel confident that they can avoid the drop zone comfortably.
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