Troy Deeney reckons West Ham have a player capable of relegating Tottenham
Troy Deeney has picked West Ham star Crysencio Summerville in his Premier League Team of the Week.
After West Ham‘s 2-1 loss to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest on 6 January, Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side looked dead and buried.
However, a run of four wins in eight Premier League games has lifted them to the cusp of getting out of the relegation zone.
On Wednesday night, Summerville got on the scoresheet once again as 18th-placed West Ham secured a crucial 1-0 win at Fulham.
As West Ham inch closer to safety, with the Hammers in the bottom three behind Forest on goal difference, former Watford striker Deeney has sung the praises of winger Summerville.
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Crysencio Summerville no longer a ‘waste of time’
When Summerville swapped Leeds United for West Ham in 2024 for around £25million, hopes were high for the diminutive wideman.
However, injuries and an apparent inability to handle the rigours of the Premier League blighted his first season at London Stadium and even early on in this campaign, Summerville struggled.
However, he has now scored five goals in his last eight league games and has spearheaded West Ham’s push to safety.
The 24-year-old’s dribbling ability, pace, and eye for goal are convincing Hammers fans that they can stay up with nine games to go.
Deeney believes that Summerville is now proving the doubters wrong and that he could even be the player to send rivals Tottenham, who are one point and two places above West Ham, down to the Championship.
He said in his BBC Sport column: “It feels like week after week we are talking about this guy. He has been fantastic for West Ham, cutting in on his right foot, and scoring goals.
“He might be one of West Ham’s better buys, which is interesting because people thought he was a waste of time earlier in the season.
“He has come in and is now doing really well – getting the winner at Fulham on Wednesday. Could he be the reason why Spurs go down?”
Summerville was the sole West Ham player to make it into Deeney’s Team of the Week. Some of his other picks were Chelsea’s hat-trick hero Joao Pedro, Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr, who got a brace at Tottenham, and Wolves’ matchwinner against Liverpool, Andre.
Summerville not the only rejuvenated West Ham player
When Mads Hermansen left relegated Leicester City for West Ham last summer, many hoped the Dane would solve their goalkeeping issues.
That did not prove to be the case, with the 25-year-old dropped after just four games due to conceding 11 goals in that stretch.
Alphonse Areola then usurped him as the club’s number one keeper but the Frenchman still had the odd mistake in him. In recent weeks, though, Hermansen has been given a second chance and so far, he hasn’t really disappointed.
It may be no coincidence that West Ham have picked up three clean sheets in their last five Premier League games with Hermansen back in between the sticks.
He now has four clean sheets in nine Premier League games, while former Paris Saint-Germain stopper Areola has the same amount in 61 matches.
Hermansen put in his best display in a West Ham shirt in the win over Fulham. If he can keep that up, the Hammers will have another string to their bow in their bid to stay up.
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