Nuno Espirito Santo must beware of West Ham change after Aaron Wan-Bissaka reveal
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been superb for West Ham United since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations.
The defender joined back up with the Hammers squad after their 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest in January, and Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have lost just one out of the eight games since.
In that time, West Ham have closed the gap to 17th-place Forest from eight points to just two, winning three and drawing two of their six Premier League games.
However, Nuno now must decide against a change in system which could have a catastrophic effect on Wan-Bissaka’s form.
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West Ham must opt against five-back
In recent months, Nuno has opted for a four-at-the-back formation, mainly due to the lack of in-form centre-halves at the club.
However, with the arrival of Axel Disasi, combined with Konstantinos Mavropanos’ revival, that is no longer an issue.
Jean-Clair Todibo returned from suspension against Bournemouth, and his availability could tempt Nuno to switch to a five-back system against Liverpool this Saturday.
A formation that sees Todibo, Disasi and Mavropanos all in the starting line-up may seem positive on current form, but it would limit Wan-Bissaka.
The former Manchester United man struggled at right-wing back earlier in the season, and since dropping to right-back has looked far better.
For the balance of the team to remain intact, Nuno should stick with the current 4-2-3-1 formation that has worked so well in recent weeks.
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Aaron Wan-Bissaka thrives at right-back
Before going away to the Africa Cup of Nations in December, Wan-Bissaka regularly switched between playing right-back and right-wing back.
As a result, the 28-year-old struggled to build up momentum, but since his return to the Hammers, it has been a different story.
Wan-Bissaka has been solely used as a right-back over the last six weeks, and it is a position that complements his strengths.
The Congo DR international is so impressive defensively, making 4.4 clearances and 1.3 tackles per game in the Premier League this season.
He is weaker going forward, which is why the right-wing back position doesn’t suit his skill set.
Wan-Bissaka will continue to flourish if Nuno sticks with what is working, playing the defender slightly deeper and not ripping everything up.
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