OPINION
Eight games into the Premier League season and the table is beginning to take shape, meaning that managers are also getting to know their best starting XIs.
There are those who already know their best side, while there are others who will spend much of the campaign tinkering to achieve the required results.
Things are no different at West Ham, where Manuel Pellegrini has noticeably come a lot closer to working out his best XI after a four-game losing streak to start the season.
However, there are still a couple of positions up for grabs, none more so than left-back.
Pellegrini has plumped with 24-year-old DR Congo international Arthur Masuaku for much of the season owing to his increased attacking instincts over counterpart Aaron Cresswell.
His risky and sometimes reckless play has unfortunately now cost the Hammers on a couple of occasions, notably his positioning during the only goal of the game in their 1-0 loss to Brighton last time out.
Pellegrini has now surprisingly aimed a public swipe at Masuaku for his form in the pre-match presser before their clash with Tottenham this weekend.
As quoted by insider website Claret and Hugh, he said: “I knew about Aaron (Cresswell) when I was here with Man City. Arthur is maybe a more attacking player but he has to improve a lot defending so we have in that position very good cover.”
Add to this concerns over his fitness after a ‘very minor injury’ sustained on international duty, it is now surely all but certain that Masuaku will be axed by Pellegrini in favour of Cresswell on Saturday.
Rarely-seen flyer Cresswell, who has made just three appearances this season, offers slightly more defensive stability than Masuaku, while also bringing pinpoint set-piece delivery.
He must take this chance to impress while Masuaku is rested/dropped, with an impressive performance against Spurs surely putting him in the frame to start on a regular basis.