OPINION
West Ham United came out on the losing side in their 1-0 defeat to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, but there were encouraging performances throughout this Hammers side.
Issa Diop was phenomenal at the back, while Marko Arnautovic looked a constant threat up front. But it was goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski who provided yet another reminder of his quality against Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
The 6ft 2in Poland international [Source: Transfermarkt] has proved to be one of the most underrated Premier League signings of the summer, as he has continually kept the Hammers in games they had no right to be in.
In the early part of the season the former Swansea City man was fighting a losing battle as Manuel Pellegrini’s team imploded around him.
At times in the opening month of the season Fabianski was the only West Ham player up to scratch, and he quickly emerged as the front runner for Hammer of the Year.
His team mates eventually started playing to their potential – although their good run has been halted in recent weeks – but that hasn’t stopped Fabianski from standing out in between the sticks.
The 33-year-old is one of the most athletic goalkeepers in the top flight, and he’s rarely caught out of position. He made some stunning saves against Spurs and didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.
Obviously Diop has been a tremendous signing, but at a fee reported by Sky Sports as £7million, is there any doubt that Fabianski has been West Ham’s signing of the season so far?
Just consider where they would be without him? Yes, back up stopper Adrian is a decent player, but the gulf in glass between the Spaniard and the new number one has been evident this year.
Bringing the Pole in has been terrific business by the Hammers, and the club should be looking to do more of the same come the January transfer window.