No one thought Lucas Perez would get into this game and no one thought he’d net two crucial goals, yet here we are. West Ham’s transfer deadline acquisition has shown up in the claret and blue and announced himself against Cardiff, showing that Hammers’s goal-scoring depth is something to behold.
The striker storylines were there pre-game for West Ham. Rest Arnautovic! Start Carroll! Chicharito can’t be sat! What are we going to do with Michail Antonio not on the bench? Yet, with all of the attention falling on West Ham’s strikers, no one was talking about Lucas Perez.
More from Green Street Hammers - West Ham
- Brighton vs West Ham predictions: Can James Ward-Prowse help end the curse?
- West Ham and two Premier League rivals made huge transfer stand
- Lucas Paqueta bet allegations discussed in West Ham and Man City transfer talks
- Bournemouth vs West Ham predictions: Premier League opener amid transfer chaos
- West Ham near Denis Zakaria transfer after final James Ward-Prowse bid
As fate would have it Perez gets subbed on and ends up scoring two goals for West Ham, the second being the game winner. Perez’s unlikely first-half substitution for an injured Arnautovic proved that in a clicking Pellegrini system goals will become a symptom of team play.
The first was a pretty solid bit of skill from Perez. He meshed well with Chicharito, two small strikers, in the second half of this match and used his striker partner to help pull apart the centre-back pairing of Cardiff. On a ball that should have been cleared two separate times, Robert Snodgrass eventually corralled it and found Perez in the box.
Perez would make it interesting, wisely choosing the volley as pressure was on him, but unwisely choosing directly at the keeper for his aim. Regardless, Perez hit it with enough pace to blow past the keeper for his first for West Ham in the Premier League.
The second goal came off of a terrific weighted pass from Arthur Masuaku. The ball found Perez alone in front of Neil Ethridge and on a no-look, first touch shot Perez megged the keeper for the second goal of the match.
Perez was given a loving sendoff from the Arsenal faithful when he left this summer, was the lone bright spot for relegated loan team Deportivo last season, and is finally proving useful for West Ham. Under Pellegrini, I think Perez could end up a beloved goalscorer the claret and blue army embrace, too.
With Chicharito’s unlikely brace against Newcastle and now Perez’s two-goal performance, perhaps we’re seeing what Pellegrini’s teams do. With speedy fullbacks, wide attackers with good delivery, and a supporting midfield, the striker duo will score due to their teammates using them to spearhead the attack.
Lucas Perez was the latest to prove this trend, and with West Ham clicking despite an Arnuatovic injury it is a ‘next man up’ mentality for Crystal Palace with the dup of Chicharito and Perez atop the depth chart.