Emerson deserved of West Ham award for display v Tottenham
West Ham full-back Emerson Palmieri was deservedly named Man of the Match as his performance went under the radar in a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse were given their plaudits, of course, as the duo scored the equaliser and winner against a substandard Spurs side.
The attacking players and goalscorers stole the spotlight, while Lukasz Fabianski’s five saves were also vital to the Hammers’ victory. Emerson slipped under the radar, however, with his highest-rated performance of the season.
As per FotMob, Emerson earned himself an 8.2 rating, coming up against the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro on the left wing – his best rating of the season so far.
Winning 80 per cent of his tackles (4/5), the 29-year-old made the most tackles out of any player on the pitch, as well as winning the most duels, even despite missing four out of the 12 duels she entered.
The Italian right-back completed the full 90 minutes, maintained an 81 per cent pass completion, and made nine recoveries against one of the fiercest attacks in the division.
Despite picking up a yellow card for a challenge on Porro, it was an extremely mature display from the defender. It would be plausible for Emerson to be one of David Moyes’ first names on the teamsheet, starting 14 of West Ham’s 15 league games so far.
The player has come on leaps and bounds since his Chelsea days, becoming a respected full-back at the top flight of English football.
Having made 54 appearances for the Hammers since his switch to East London in August 2022, Emerson has been part of a revolution under the Moyes side that won the Europa Conference League last season and is pushing for a top-six finish this season.
In other West Ham news, Pablo Fornals could be sold during the January transfer window despite extending his current contract