WHZ View: West Ham defender stole the show in Fulham win
Angelo Ogbonna turned in a performance of the highest quality as he helped his side to a 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Monday night.
Ogbonna scored the Hammers’ first as the Irons rose to fifth in the Premier League table with a hard-fought win against the Villains.
The Italian defender produced at both ends of the pitch with his defensive work proving to be as vital as his first-half header.
His individual stats from Monday’s game prove just how well the defender played.
According to Wyscout, Ogbonna won 80% of his defensive duels as very little got past the 32-year-old all evening.
He also won 75% of his loose ball duels as he was rarely beaten to loose balls chased down by Villa players.
The Italian improved on his performances this season as he made eight interceptions against Aston Villa which is more than the 6.24 interceptions he has been averaging per game this season.
There is a similar trend with Ogbonna’s clearances as the defender made six clearances on Monday while he has been averaging 2.55 clearances per game this season.
Ogbonna only committed one foul all evening as he was firmly in control of his actions and performed well against a talented Villa attack.
He also made nine recoveries as he won the ball back for his team and looked to set them away on attacks as they went in search of an important three points.
The Italian was also good with his feet as he registered a 91% pass completion rate which is a testament to David Moyes’ new philosophy of playing out from the back.
The only negative for Ogbonna was that he only won 25% of his aerial duels – you would expect a six-foot two-inch defender to perform better in the air defensively.
Ogbonna is going from strength to strength this season and he is a rock in heart of Moyes’ defence.
He has started every Premier League game for the Hammers this term and that looks set to continue following his excellent display against Villa.
In other West Ham news, David Moyes has criticised VAR after controversy arose yet again during the clash with Aston Villa.