West Ham United enjoyed a promising campaign under Manuel Pellegrini the last term, especially after making a horrid start to the campaign. And the Hammers will now be pretty much looking forward to continuing that momentum to achieve something bigger in this new season.
They did pull off a couple of massive deals in the transfer market this summer. And in this article, we will be figuring out the strongest possible West Ham lineup including all of their latest arrivals.
Formation: 4-1-2-3
Defence
Lukasz Fabianski was one of Premier League’s best goalkeepers last season. He is, therefore, the obvious number one choice in between the sticks for the Hammers, ahead of new signings Roberto and David Martin.
Ryan Fredericks looks to have emerged as a regular first-team starter, and due to his athleticism and youthful exuberance, he gets the nod ahead of the ageing Pablo Zabaleta at right-back. Aaron Cresswell starts on the opposite flank, edging out Arthur Masuaku.
In central defence, Angelo Ogbonna played quite an important role last season. But that is only due to the injury problems of Fabian Balbuena. The Paraguayan international is the definite number one choice at the heart of West Ham’s four-man backline alongside Issa Diop.
Midfield
Declan Rice is a guaranteed starter in the team, especially with West Ham having no real alternatives. The English international will feature in the lone holding midfield role, at the base of the 4-1-2-3 setup. His ability to break up the play could be crucial throughout this campaign.
Manuel Lanzini is back in full fitness and is set to play a key role. But, the Argentine needs a partner in the advanced midfield role. Jack Wilshere and Pablo Fornals are the candidates, but we will go with the new signing Fornals as he had already made quite a mark in La Liga last term.
Attack
Michail Antonio emerged as an essential player for the Hammers during the second half of last season. However, Pellegrini should persist with Andriy Yarmolenko at right-wing since he can provide that unpredictability in the attack.
Felipe Anderson is the obvious choice on the opposite flank so is new signing Sebastien Haller, who will spearhead the West Ham attack. The Frenchman’s physical and aerial dominance will be useful for the Londoners as they look to make a mark in the Premier League this season.
