In a recent interview with the club’s official website, West Ham United skipper Mark Noble was full of praise for his teammate Arthur Masuaku who put in a brilliant display against Norwich City before the international break. Noble expressed his thoughts on the Congolese full-back’s return to form and said (via whufc.com), “I thought he [Masuaku] was brilliant and, to be honest, I thought the whole back four was brilliant to keep [Teemu] Pukki quiet because he’s such a good goalscorer.
“I thought the aggression we played with, the power and pace and control, was brilliant. For me, that’s the best we’ve played for a long time.”
Masuaku’s Return To Form At The London Stadium
Masuaku made a slow start to this campaign, but his incredible display versus the Canaries proves that he is improving with each game this season. The former Olympiacos left-back put in a decent shift down the left flank and was defensively solid as well inside his own half.
With matches coming up against Aston Villa, Manchester United, Oxford United and Bournemouth later this month, Manuel Pellegrini would hope that Masuaku can maintain the same level of performance for the remainder of this campaign. The one-time Democratic Republic of Congo international has earned one assist in three appearances for the Hammers this season.
On the defensive end, the 25-year-old has made an average of 4.3 tackles, 2.0 interceptions and 2.0 clearances per game in the Premier League this season (stats via whoscored).
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Masuaku boasts electric pace which enables him to make some lung-bursting dribbles down the left flank. The Congolese prospect can also link up play well with others around him and can create a few decent opportunities in the final third. However, he has struggled to find consistency at the London Stadium this year which has been a cause for concern for Pellegrini.
Noble’s recent praise will undeniably be a confidence boost for Masuaku as he tries to put in another solid display against the Villans on Monday night. However, the jury is still out on whether he will be able to be consistent with his performances at East London.
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At 25, the Hammers full-back is currently playing at his prime. So he needs to find a way to establish himself as a regular feature in Pellegrini’s first-team ahead of Aaron Cresswell, who is also competing for the left-back position. Masuaku has all the makings of a reliable full-back; hence, he could help the Hammers win a silverware in the coming years.
