BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has hailed Felipe Anderson for being the driving force for the West Ham transformation.
The Hammers have won five of their last six games in the Premier League (lost one) to climb to ninth in the Premier League table following Thursday’s 2-1 win at Southampton.
An Anderson double in the space of six minutes helped Manuel Pellegrini’s side come from two goals down to extend their impressive run.
“West Ham absolutely ripped Southampton to shreds on the back of their own free-kick. Once the ball fell to Felipe Anderson that was it. The Brazilian is playing the most consistent football I think I’ve seen him play,” Crooks wrote as he named Anderson in his BBC Sport team of the week.
“His earlier strike put West Ham on level terms and with a little luck Anderson might have had a hat-trick. The Hammers are blowing bubbles at the moment and it is all down to Felipe Anderson. An outstanding performance.”
OPINION
Anderson is starting to look worth every penny of the £40million fee West Ham spent to prise him from Lazio over the summer. It was a transfer that required extensive negotiation, and looked dead in the water on more than one occasion, but the Londoners’ ambition is starting to reap real dividends. Anderson started the campaign slowly but is now looking a bona fide Premier League matchwinner, with seven goals in his last nine appearances. His pace, technique and eye for goal are making him a real handful for defences and have provided a much-needed cutting edge on the left side of the attack for West Ham. You get what you pay for in football, and Anderson is showing why the club were correct in smashing their transfer record to entice him from Serie A. Marko Arnautovic is still West Ham’s top player, contrary to what Crooks says, but the Brazilian summer signing isn’t that far behind.