WHZ View: Antonio adding more to his game for West Ham
Michail Antonio turned provider again for West Ham in their 3-3 draw with Arsenal at the London Stadium on Sunday.
The 30-year-old assisted goals for Jesse Lingard and Tomas Soucek as we raced into a three-goal lead early on. Two own goals and an Alexandre Lacazette third drew the visitors level to share the points.
Despite the result, it was an impressive display from the front-man. David Moyes put all his faith into Antonio when he sold Sebastien Haller to Ajax and in fairness, the number 30 hasn’t disappointed.
Last season he scored 10 league goals to keep us in the top flight. He was sensational after the restart in June, in particular, his four-goal-haul in the 4-0 away win to Norwich City.
Antonio provided just three assists last season, but with nine matches still to play he’s already doubled that tally. Six overall, five in the Premier League. His thirteen goal involvements in the top flight this season have won us a huge 12 points. Without him, we’d be in the bottom half of the table.
Most impressive has been his link-up play. When Antonio joined West Ham in 2015 his talent was clear to see, but it was raw. He was like a bull in a china shop, brute force with speed and power but so often he was let down by his touch.
The fluidity in which he now plays his football with Jarrod Bowen, Jesse Lingard and Said Benrahma is beautiful to see. Not just on the ball either, their movement is excellent. Often we see Antonio drift wide to run the channels, much like he did for providing the first assist to Lingard.
He stretches defences. Usually, it’s the centre-halves who follow him, and they simply don’t have the pace to keep up. David Luiz was having nightmares for the opening thirty minutes on Sunday.
It’s not just his pace, either. Antonio’s aerial presence and strength to hold up play is crucial to West Ham. The big man is excellent at drawing fouls, in some games this season he’s had to feed off scraps but always makes the most of his chances.
For the last 18 months, he has played primarily as a striker, but with the new signings, he’s able to hit the line and play like a winger as he was previously. It’s opening so many opportunities for the Hammers this season. We wouldn’t be where are in the table without him.
He’s playing to his strengths so well at the moment, there isn’t a striker in the league like him.
In other West Ham news, Alan Shearer has named Jesse Lingard in his team of the week.