West Ham United behind only Chelsea in centre-back rotations as worrying stat emerges
West Ham have endured a very testing campaign under David Moyes, with their only saving grace being their fine run in the Europa Conference League.
But even that journey is now slightly under threat after the Hammers saw their 100% winning run in the competition brought to an end against Gent on Thursday (13 April).
The East London outfit were aiming to make it 11 wins from 11 in this season’s tournament against the Belgian side, but drew 1-1 in their quarter-final first leg.
It is a result that Moyes is not too upset about, but it will ensure that the pressure remains on the boss as the Hammers return to Premier League action this weekend.
And it is a harsh welcome back from Belgium, with league leaders Arsenal travelling to the London Stadium on Sunday (16 April).
It is in the league that West Ham have been struggling, with the club winning just eight of their 29 matches, leaving them three points off the relegation zone.
Given their lengthy European run, Moyes has been forced into chopping and changing his starting XI in order to keep players as fit as possible, with injuries also playing their part in this regard.
And one area that has been particularly impacted by such changes is in central defence, with the Hammers using a huge 14 different centre-back partnerships in the Premier League this season.
Only Chelsea (17) have used more, a club whose struggles have been well documented in recent times.
Kurt Zouma has been sidelined with knee and hamstring injuries throughout the season, with Nayef Aguerd missing a large chunk of the campaign with an ankle injury sustained in pre-season.
Angelo Ogbonna meanwhile has found himself in and out of favour under Moyes, while both Thilo Kehrer and Ben Johnson have also been utilised centrally at various stages of the campaign.
The continuous rotation was on show yet again this week, with Ogbonna and Aguerd lining out together against Gent, with the former having been paired with Zouma for the 1-0 win against Fulham last Saturday (8 April).
The duo put in a fine shift against the Cottagers, drawing plenty of praise from pundit Alan Shearer on Match of the Day, showcasing their credentials to be Moyes’s preferred pairing for the remainder of the Premier League season.
But with a Europa Conference League second leg coming up, along with challenging tests against Premier League giants Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, the centre-back rotation will more than likely continue in the coming weeks and months.