West Ham United: Didier Deschamps gets it wrong with Alphonse Areola snub
Alphonse Areola has been one of the brightest goalkeepers in the Premier League this season, despite a leaky defence lining up in front of him at West Ham.
For his form at the London Stadium, the 31-year-old has been called up to the France national team once again, and rightly so, aiming to add to his five caps.
Having left London after securing a hard-fought point against Aston Villa before the international break, Areola joined up with Didier Deschamps’ squad full of confidence.
Former Nottingham Forest ‘keeper preferred to West Ham man
As France prepared themselves to face Germany on Saturday 23 March, Areola would have been extremely disappointed to be told that Brice Samba would be starting the match.
The Hammers shot-stopper probably had the last laugh, though, watching on as his team conceded within the first six seconds before Kai Havertz dealt France a 2-0 defeat at home.
Of course, there is an argument to be made for the former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper to be handed the starting spot, but Areola has been an ever-present for West Ham in one of the most competitive leagues in the world.
With a 73 per cent successful save rate, as per Sofascore, the 31-year-old can be singled out for winning many of West Ham’s points this season, as David Moyes’ squad push for a top-six finish.
Areola’s 60 per cent pass completion certainly leaves a lot to be desired, especially when compared to Samba, who boasted a 93 per cent pass rate on Saturday night. [FotMob]
However, Moyes’ defensive style of play will greatly skewer that specific stat, with West Ham seeing much less of the ball than Lens do in Ligue 1, which leads to Areola punting his passes further up the pitch.
What does Alphonse Areola have that Brice Samba does not?
Having not started an international match since September 2022, Deschamps is not able to see the impressive goalkeeper right under his nose, who has been applauded all season.
European Championships can come down to the wire, with many famous penalty shootouts emerging throughout history, and this is one statistic that sees Areola shine.
Ranking amongst the top 80 percentile for penalty saves, as per FBref, compared to Samba only in the top 49 percentile, this could definitely be considered ahead of the summer tournament. [FBref]
Frankly, it was a decision that Deschamps got wrong.
In other West Ham news, the Irons appear to have stepped up their interest in an undefeated international defender after watching him repeatedly.
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