In another desperately dark day at West Ham, the Hammers fell to another limp defeat in the Premier League. Their 2-1 loss to Leicester on late Saturday afternoon means they are hovering just above the drop-zone at the half-way point of the season, and it was therefore no surprise to see Manuel Pellegrini leave immediately after the game.
Despite playing against a Foxes side that had made wholesale changes from their hammering at the hands of Liverpool, West Ham looked toothless in attack, and brittle at the back. Just four shots on target in the entire game, conceding 13 total efforts on goal, and only 42% of the possession. But whilst the team as a whole struggled, one man who tried his best to take his fight to the visitors at the London Stadium, was Felipe Anderson.
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The £40.5m-rated ace never shied away from taking the game to the opposition, and he showed signs of really getting back to his best form. This campaign has been a bit of a nightmare for the Brazilian, failing to find the back of the net even once – last year saw him score ten times across all competitions. But against Leicester on Saturday, Anderson was the only source of energy and life – a steep contrast to the almost lifeless presence of Pellegrini on the touchline.
As per Sofascore, Anderson completed five of his seven attempted dribbles (which was a team-high), whilst he also provided three key passes too. The 26-year-old’s use of the ball was always progressive and with an easy to taking the team forward, and it was no surprise to see him provide one cross and three successful long balls.
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But whilst his work at the top end of the pitch was impressive, his defensive contribution arguably provided the biggest uplift to the Hammers fans. All any supporters want is for players to give it their absolute best, and despite being a winger, Anderson hustled and worked harder than most in an Irons shirt. He won a team-high ten ground duels out of his contested 15, and made three tackles and two interceptions too.
The London Stadium had been robbed of energy under Pellegrini’s stewardship this season, but Anderson’s performance against the Foxes provided a much-needed silver lining to the dark clouds.
Meanwhile, West Ham fans have earmarked this man to potentially take over from Manuel Pellegrini.