OPINION
West Ham United fans no doubt resigned Samir Nasri as a laughing stock when he signed on a six-month loan deal this month.
Who could blame them? 18 months out of action would surely plant a seed of doubt in any supporters’ mind these days, as there is always the risk that they will not be fit enough.
However, Nasri has gone and proved all those doubters wrong, as his display in the 1-0 win over Arsenal on Saturday demonstrated that he has not lost his touch.
Nevertheless, one player who will surely be sweating profusely after his performance is Robert Snodgrass, who before Saturday, was a regular in the starting XI.
He was left out of the team in order to accommodate Nasri, and it now looks like his spot in the line-up is being seriously compromised if the former Manchester City star continues blowing people away with his high standards.
Nasri looked like the player we all loved to watch during his time with the Gunners and at City, and while West Ham fans will be rejoicing at this prospect, Snodgrass definitely will not be.
The 31-year-old has just got his career back on track with the Irons after being frozen-out previously – he spent last season on loan at Aston Villa – so the prospect of him being out-of-favour once again is not something he will want to personally contemplate.
The mainstay – who has appeared 21 times in the top-flight this term – now needs to prove to Manuel Pellegrini that he is the player who can make the most impact on the team compared to Nasri.
He must now play out of his skin to prove that he is that type of player, otherwise he might as well wave goodbye to his time at the London Stadium.