OPINION
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini should consider recalling Aaron Cresswell and Lucas Perez for the Hammers’ clash with Watford on Saturday.
Pellegrini’s team welcome the Hornets to the London Stadium, and to do so with the woeful Arthur Masuaku at left back would be a huge error. Perez, too, deserves a recall after impressing immensely over the past few weeks.
Football London claim that the Spaniard’s chances of playing are 50-50 after injury, but if the former Arsenal man is anywhere close to being fit he should come in for Michail Antonio.
Those two changes will likely be enough for West Ham to roll over Javi Gracia’s side fairly comfortably in front of their adoring home crowd.
Lukasz Fabianski is a dead ringer to keep his place in between the sticks after a wonderful start to life in East London, while the seven day break between games should mean veteran Pablo Zabaleta continues at right back.
As mentioned above, Masuaku’s defensive weaknesses will likely be exploited by Watford’s coterie of talented wingers – including former Hammer Domingos Quina – and so Cresswell’s superior solidity should win the day. Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop must continue at centre back.
All four of West Ham’s starting midfielders against Fulham last time out can feel pretty confident in their positions. Robert Snodgrass, Mark Noble, Declan Rice and Felipe Anderson have all enjoyed fine seasons thus far and it would be a major surprise to see any of them dropped on Saturday.
Javier Hernandez has excelled in recent times and should be given another opportunity to start, while the goal threat provided by Perez makes him a risk worth taking against the Hornets.