OPINION
It’s safe to say that this has been a difficult season so far for West Ham United striker Javier Hernandez, but recent weeks have seen some light emerge at the end of the tunnel for the 30-year-old.
The Mexican international missed the best part of two months at the start of the season with a virus, and manager Manuel Pellegrini took a slow approach to reintegrating him back into the team once he’d recovered.
That didn’t sit well with the former Bayer Leverkusen star, who told Spanish publication Marca last month that he was unhappy with his lack of game time and that he would consider a move away from the London Stadium.
However, in recent weeks he has returned to the starting line up and may just have rescued his ailing Hammers career. He has appeared determined to show the supporters what they’ve been missing, netting three times in as many Premier League games over the past week.
All three of those matches have ended with West Ham victorious, perhaps not coincidentally. Austrian Marko Arnautovic emerged as Pellegrini’s first choice attacker in the early goings this campaign, but the past week has shown that Hernandez remains the club’s most lethal forward.
He simply has a knack for goalscoring that is vital to any team. He showed his predatory instincts once again on Saturday as he converted a beautiful goal in his team’s 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.
It’s crucial that the Hammers keep him at the club moving forward. Neither Andy Carroll nor Lucas Perez can be deemed prolific frontmen, while Arnautovic is currently out injured. Simply put, Hernandez is absolutely key to the team’s hopes this term.
A lot can change in a week, and suddenly it seems as if Hernandez is happy again. Following the win over Palace he told the Daily Mail that he was happy playing football once more.
There you have it, from the horse’s mouth. It appears that in seven days the Mexican may have rescued a West Ham career that was looking like a lost cause a few weeks ago. The club and its fans should be thankful for that fact.