Shutting Down West Ham’s Kryptonite Striker; Marquee Matchup
By Adam Smith
It’s going to be a tall task, literally and figuratively, for West Ham’s center back duo to shut down the Manchester United striker in this match. Romelu Lukaku has a strong history of netting goals against West Ham, but this isn’t the same old West Ham squad.
The marquee matchup will be a crew of two vs one solid striker. Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena have performed admirably since coming together as a team against Arsenal, and have helped West Ham collect four points in their last two matches. They’ve recently contained both Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud, but can they keep Lukaku in check?
On paper and on form the answer is yes, but history suggests otherwise. Lukaku has an incredible track record against West Ham. In his time at West Brom, Everton, and now Manchester United has seen him hammer down the Irons for goals. In 13 matches (2 FA Cup matches included) Lukaku has scored 11 goals and added 4 assists. He missed West Ham’s last clash with the Reds but in the 2017/18 season opener, he netted two.
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The prognosis isn’t positive but then again this team is completely different from last season. Lukasz Fabianski seems hell-bent on slamming the door in every match he starts, Diop and Balbuena are looking like more than solid Premier League defenders, and the defensive midfield has come together to make a solid unit to protect the back line.
If Lukaku is going to add to his goal record he’ll have to earn it.
Diop and Balbuena are the joint centerpieces to West Ham’s defensive back line and physically they can match up with Lukaku; Diop has the height and Balbuena has the physicality. They can maximize their effectiveness by employing two tactics: hard and fast pressure on Lukaku when he gets the ball, and don’t underestimate his speed.
Lukaku, for being a massive presence on the pitch can sneak away from coverage pretty well. The negative counterpart to this positive attribute is his first touch often lets him down. If he gets in the box and gets a chance, however, don’t count on him to miss especially if it’s with his head.
In six Premier League matches, this season Lukaku has netted four goals already. Despite the off-pitch issues United has experienced, there is no reason to believe that Lukaku won’t keep banging in goals for the Reds if given the chance.
To help contain this West Ham killer Diop and Balbuena can rely on Mark Noble, Declan Rice, and Pedro Obiang. The defensive trio has been stellar in West Ham’s last two matches and did well in supporting their center backs against Chelsea’s dominant midfield and attack. While Noble organizes and motivates the team it is Rice who will be most important of these three players. Rice has been a revelation since returning to the starting XI with his ability to read the game and halt the opposition with quick pressure and tackling.
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My prediction is that the teams will trade chances early and often, but West Ham’s versatile and underrated attack will take them better. The Irons are coming into form at this time while United are falling out of form. An early goal could completely derail Jose Mourinho’s team and seal a victory for West Ham.