Diouf’s head held high as West Ham star tops Premier League chart after Liverpool loss
El Hadji Malick Diouf is one of West Ham’s most consistent performers, even if he did see his side ship five goals at Anfield.
The Hammers lost 5-2 to Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, and although the likes of Mads Hermansen and Jarrod Bowen played poorly, Diouf had a solid game.
Since moving to E20, the 21-year-old left-back has adapted to the responsibility placed upon him and is only set to improve even more as he gains further Premier League experience.
After registering an assist against Arne Slot’s side, the Senegal international has showcased exactly why he deserves to be leading the charts for an impressive Premier League stat.
El Hadji Malick Diouf has more assists than any other Premier League defender
The marauding full-back was a huge miss for the Hammers while he was winning AFCON with Senegal in January, as his attacking instincts were missed.
However, he has been impressive since returning to West Ham, and he provided a brilliant cross for Tomas Soucek’s close-range goal at Anfield.
Diouf now has five assists in the Premier League this season, which is more than any other defender.
According to Sofascore, he created two chances on Saturday, and although he was part of a defence that conceded five goals, he can hold his head up high with his performance.
| Stat | Diouf |
| Minutes played | 89 |
| Chances created | 2 |
| Recoveries | 6 |
| Aerial dues won | 83% |
Diouf has also excelled defensively, and despite his inexperience, the Hammers would be in a much worse position without him.
With 26 interceptions this season, Diouf is evidently an incredibly smart footballer, and although it took him a while to showcase his maturity, he is still well above his years in how he conducts himself.
He has also registered 91 clearances in the Premier League this season, which is 94.8 per cent higher than all other left-backs in the top flight.
David Sullivan has been rightly criticised for poor recruitment in the past, but it’s safe to say that the West Ham chairman has gotten it spot on with Diouf.
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How much profit could West Ham make on Diouf if the worst happens?
He joined the London Stadium outfit from Slavia Prague for £19million fee to replace Emerson Palmieri.
If the Hammers are forced into selling him should the East London club go down, it’ll be hard to replace him with someone who has a similar profile.
However, even if this happens in the summer, West Ham are set to make an enormous amount of profit, which could either help them bounce back from relegation or enable them to have a more successful season in the Premier League in 2026-27.
They’ll likely ask for anything above £50m, given how young he is and the fact that he starts for the best country in Africa.
When you add his 22 league appearances to the equation, it’s clear that the Hammers have a precious asset in Diouf.
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