West Ham United ace Manuel Lanzini proves worth to David Moyes as Europa Conference League stats emerge
West Ham United ace Manuel Lanzini has been one of the most important figures in the club’s fantastic Europa Conference League run.
The attacker’s appearance list this season epitomises how the boss has been forced to rotate his squad to balance West Ham’s domestic and European duties.
Lanzini has featured just seven times in the current Premier League time, remarkably making eight appearances in the Europa Conference League.
The 30-year-old may feel aggrieved at his lack of game time domestically, but his European minutes simply highlight just how much he is valued by his manager.
Moreover, Lanzini can hold his head high amid the stark difference in how the Hammers have fared in the two competitions, with the club doing much better in the tournament where their Argentine ace has featured heavily.
The number 10 boasts two goals and one assist in the competition so far [Transfermarkt], with various other statistics proving just how crucial he has been to his club’s latest European adventure.
Of all the players to play in this season’s Europa Conference League, only Joel Pereira (14), Christian Kouame (13) and Giorgi Cakvetadze (13) have created more chances than Lanzini (12), according to Opta Analyst.
Lanzini’s ability on the ball has also come to light, with only Eduard Sarapyi (596) and Sofyan Amrabat (585) making more passes than the West Ham man (564), with the Hammers ace boasting a stunning 91% passing accuracy.
Moreover, Lanzini’s defensive capabilities can also be highlighted, with the midfielder’s 65 recoveries bettered only by Michael Ngadeu (79) and Juraj Kucka (67).
The Argentine is undoubtedly the unsung hero of another fine European run for West Ham, with Lanzini deserving of some silverware for his efforts in midfield this season.
Belgian side Gent, however, will be no pushovers, with the Hammers set for their toughest test yet in the quarter-finals of the competition.
Lanzini’s Premier League duties have declined sharply since the summer arrival of Lucas Paqueta, but the latter could definitely take some inspiration from the former if he is to really get his career up and running in East London.
With the 30-year-old’s contract expiring this summer, he seems destined for the exit door at the end of the campaign, with very little evidence to suggest the contrary.
But the somewhat disappointing end could be injected with a massive boost should the midfielder guide his club to the Europa Conference League trophy.