West Ham United set to miss Edson Alvarez v Bayer Leverkusen as ‘massive blow’ emerges
Edson Alvarez has quickly become one of the most important players in David Moyes’ squad and was instrumental once again as West Ham thrashed Freiburg in the Europa League on Thursday (14 March).
Hammers fans will have been extremely nervous to see who Declan Rice’s successor would be at the London Stadium, with the latter signing for Arsenal on a £100m deal with £5million in add-ons last summer. [BBC Sport]
Arriving from Ajax in July, Alvarez has hit the ground running in the Premier League, starting 22 of West Ham’s league matches so far, and appearing in six of their seven Europa League matches.
Edson Alvarez proves key for West Ham United in Freiburg comeback
Due to Moyes’ defensive style of play, and preference to hit on the counterattack, the Bundesliga outfit held 61 per cent possession during the second leg, meaning that Alvarez had to be at his very best.
At the base of midfield, the Mexican is extremely important, not only in defence, but also in launching the counterattacks, and his 85 per cent pass accuracy on Thursday 14 March was vital. [FotMob]
Though he was not directly involved in any of the five West Ham goals at the London Stadium, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus were able to fly up the flanks and trusted that their defensive midfielder could find them with a raking pass, boasting a 100 per cent accuracy with long balls.
With Tomas Soucek alongside him against Freiburg, who is slightly more offensive with his play, Alvarez was left to claim the midfield all by himself, being involved in 12 total battles, and winning 67 per cent of his aerial duels.
David Moyes must deal with ‘massive blow’ v Bayer Leverkusen
Drawing Xavi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen was probably the worst outcome the Hammers could have been handed in the Europa League quarter-finals, having not lost a single match this season.
In addition to this, Moyes will have to deal without Alvarez in the first leg, with the 26-year-old picking up a needless yellow card against Freiburg, which sees him suspended for one match.
Dean Ashton was left flummoxed as Alvarez picked up the caution, dubbing the decision a “massive blow” for West Ham.
“Surely at this point someone’s got to let him know. Once you’re in this position in the game, cruising, they’re just sat now deep and looking to see the game out and now he’s going to miss the first leg of the quarter-final,” Ashton said when covering the game as a pundit for Sky Sports News.
“It just seems like a real waste to have done that if you’re Edson Alvarez. That could be a potential massive blow for West Ham.”
With Kalvin Phillips the likely replacement for him, fans will be dreading seeing the Manchester City loanee in the Europa League, who has been far from his best since arriving at the London Stadium.
In other West Ham news, a David Moyes sack admission has been made with David Sullivan talking to Tim Steidten.
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