West Ham ace Said Benrahma prepared for the new Premier League season
Said Benrahma was arguably West Ham United’s best player during pre-season, and he is raring to go ahead of the new campaign after struggling last term.
The Algerian international, 25, scored once in the 6-2 demolition of Celtic, bagged the winner in the 1-0 victory over Brentford before weighing in with two assists in the 2-0 Betway Cup win over Atalanta at the weekend.
The attacking midfielder has revealed that his form is down to preparations having missed out on pre-season duties with the Hammers last summer.
Benrahma told West Ham TV: “I’m very happy to have helped the team with this performance. I hope we can carry on like this, we’ve had a good pre-season so let’s hope to keep it up!
“I’m gaining confidence and hope to carry on doing so. Next time I hope to score as well!
“I prepared myself well for the pre-season. I’ve tried to properly prepare myself physically, I feel good. I think that’s what was missing for me last year. I’ve had a good pre-season and I hope to continue in this way.”
We cannot wait
He joined us in October 2020 initially on loan before making it permanent in January 2021, ending the season with just a goal and six assists in 30 Premier League games.
It was a below-par return from a player who bagged 27 goals and made 23 assists in two seasons for the Bees in the Championship, and we believe he is finally getting his groove back.
While pre-season is not the perfect indicator to measure a player’s quality, Benrahma has been superb for us in recent games, and has definitely staked a claim for a place in manager David Moyes’ starting XI.
With a move for Jesse Lingard all but off the cards, the Algeria international now has the opportunity to step in and finally take the Premier League by storm.
He is elite-level material given his huge talents and potential, and he now needs to do it week in, week out.
West Ham start the 2021-22 campaign with a trip to Newcastle United on Sunday, August 15, and Benrahma needs to hit the ground running and show the English top-flight what he is capable of.
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