Aaron Wan-Bissaka deserves World Cup call-up despite West Ham misery
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been called up for DR Congo’s World Cup squad, despite West Ham United‘s dismal season.
The Hammers look like they will be relegated from the Premier League, with Tottenham needing to lose their final two matches to give them any chance of survival.
If that was to happen, it would still leave the Irons needing to beat Leeds on the final day, to save their bacon.
Wan-Bissaka has featured regularly for Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side, but he has been unable to prevent the misery at the London Stadium.
The West Ham star deserves his spot in the tournament, though, despite his struggles at club level.
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How has Wan-Bissaka performed for West Ham?
West Ham have been poor, but Wan-Bissaka has not necessarily been to blame for their issues.
The experienced defender has played 25 matches in the Premier League this season, with 23 of those appearances in the starting line-up.
He has notched two assists, created two big chances and averaged 0.7 key passes, according to data from Sofascore.
The former Manchester United man completed 38 per cent of his cross attempts and 48 per cent of his dribble attempts.
| Wan-Bissaka’s stats this season | Premier League |
| Matches | 25 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Key passes | 0.7 |
| Cross attempts | 38% |
| Dribble success | 48% |
| Tackles per game | 1.3 |
| Ball recoveries per game | 3 |
| Clearances per game | 3.8 |
| Ground duels won | 51% |
| Aerial duels won | 48% |
Defensively, he has helped the Hammers keep just three clean sheets, making 1.3 tackles per game, three ball recoveries per game and 3.8 clearances per game.
He has made three errors leading to a shot, but none of those directly led to a goal for the opposition.
In terms of duels, he has won 51 per cent on the ground and 48 per cent in the air, which is not a bad record at all.
Why he deserves World Cup call-up
The statistics suggest that Wan-Bissaka is not to blame for the situation in East London, as his numbers are pretty respectable.
The call-up for his nation is earned, and he could help them make an impact at the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
He looks set to add to his 10 caps for his nation and appear at his first edition of the most prestigious competition in the game.
Their last appearance was in 1974, when they were known as Zaire, and they, with Wan-Bissaka, will be hoping to make a good impression and cause some shocks against the more established nations.