Three matches into the 2016/17 Premier League season, and West Ham are already wheezing.
The Hammers’ campaign started early, in August, with their ill-fated Europa League qualification tilt ending in acrimony and defeat, as Astra knocked them out at the pre-tournament stage for the second year running. With a squad hampered by Dimitri Payet’s extended holidays post-Euros, as well as a litany of injuries picked up in the pre-season, the opening three league matches were something of an ordeal. Encounters with title favourites Chelsea and Manchester City were placed either side of a home tie with Bournemouth.
And, considering the state of the playing squad – there were eight key players missing from the first team when Bournemouth arrived at the Olympic Stadium – three points earned from those first three matches represents something of a mini-triumph. It was from the boot of Diego Costa – a player who should not have been on the pitch at the time of scoring – that Chelsea scratched out their late win in the opening game, and although Manchester City dominated in their home victory, West Ham’s second half performance in that match was encouraging. In between these defeats, the hard-earned win over Bournemouth made it a perfect start to Premier League life in the new stadium.
So, with some players creeping back to full fitness, and others staring in catatonia at more extended spells on the injury table, the early-season international break came as a massive relief. Michail Antonio was, initially, disbelieving, then ecstatic at his maiden England call-up, and Adrian and Payet also enjoyed national team selection. As for the others, well, Manuel Lanzini took the week to train, and looks set for a starting berth against Watford this weekend. Sofiane Feghouli was ruled out of international duty with Algeria, and used his downtime well; he’s also in contention to return against the Hornets.
Michail Antonio talking about his @England call-up is fantastic 🙌 #ENG pic.twitter.com/hqiaCEmgii
— Dream Team (@dreamteamfc) 30 August 2016
Havard Nordtveit and Winston Reid, nursing a foot and facial injury respectively, are also due to be available for the home tie this weekend, with the latter recovered from the Sergio Aguero’s errant elbow, an act for which City’s Argentine has been retrospectively banned for three matches. It’s not all good news though; Aaron Cresswell, Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho and record-singing Andre Ayew are all unavailable for the time being, with all but Carroll not expected to return to the first team until late November.
But in Lanzini and Payet, West Ham have their creative spine back and ready to stir things up. Lanzini’s brief second-half cameo against City provided more than enough indication that the Argentine maestro can give West Ham that vital spark from deep midfield. As for Payet, well, the league is all too aware of his abilities. Having spurred France to victory over Italy, off the bench, in an international friendly last week, he could not do the same against Belarus on Tuesday. The Belorussians were stolid in the extreme, with Olivier Giroud missing a number of chances to snatch victory for Les Bleus.
All of West Ham’s called-up players came through the international break unscathed, which will be music to Slaven Bilic’s ears. It doesn’t look like it just yet, in its threadbare state, but Bilic’s squad is one of the strongest and deepest in the league. David Gold and David Sullivan were extremely active in the transfer window, and have reinforced almost every position with a capable understudy. There is no reason, provided the injury glut doesn’t linger, that West Ham shouldn’t aspire to a top-seven finish this season.
Often the early-season international break can come as a bit of a kill-joy, a pause in Premier League proceedings just as the new season has shot off from the blocks. It may feel like that for Manchester City, Chelsea or Manchester United fans, whose teams have made a fine start to their campaigns. But for West Ham, battered and bruised and limping into the term, this little recess is like manna from heaven.
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