A poor visit to Bournemouth saw West Ham players slink back in the Bleacher Report Top100 positional power rankings this week. There were only a few players who cracked the list and all remain, but they’re due for a bump in two weeks time.
The Bleacher Report weekly ranking, EPL100 can be seen here. It ranks the best players by positions after each week, taking into consideration their performances from the week that was, and the form they have strung together over the past few matches.
Let’s get into the Irons’ rankings:
Keepers: Lukasz Fabianski – 2nd
Previous – 2nd
If you watch the Bournemouth match the score would have been a lot worse if Fabianski was not in net for West Ham. He continues to impress with the commanding of his backline and how quick he comes off his line to end aerial threats or halt searching long balls.
Both goals weren’t on Fabianski as Callum Wilson hit a ridiculous volley passed Angelo Ogbonna after a solid tackle deflected perfectly to him. The second was a vicious counterattack to kill of the match after the ball was beautifully squared across the front of the goal. We all know the propensity for news outlets to cater to the top six and right now Fabianski is holding off David de Gea and Ederson, so he’ll need his team to start performing in front of him to keep his spot.
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Right-backs: Pablo Zabaleta – 7th
Previous – 6th
A slight drop here for the fixture on the top ten list for right-backs/right-wingbacks. Pablo Zabaleta is certainly deserving of his position on this list but is appropriately dropped one space on the play of other fullbacks.
The ridiculous aspect of his demotion is that Hector Bellerin surpassed him despite picking up a knee injury that will sideline him indefinitely. Yes, Bellerin had a great game against Chelsea but he’s no longer an active Premier League player. If the desire is to create an accurate list of the best in-form players by position, surely the inclusion of a player who won’t play anymore needs to be omitted.
Centre-backs: Issa Diop – 15th
Previous – 10th
Umm, Sam. Did you watch the same match we did? How can a five-spot drop be justified on a miraculous goal off of a fluke deflection and a late match goal as a result of the team pushing for an equalizer? It isn’t justified and certainly looks like a “read the boxscore” result rather than a “watched the match” result.
Diop has been nothing short of stellar and I stand by this sentiment through the Bournemouth match. He has a working relationship with Declan Rice who covers for him when he steps up on goal kick clearances that he can claim, and has been even more impressive since Fabian Balbuena’s injury. Sorry, B/R and Sam Tighe – not buying the massive drop.
Defensive/central Midfielders: Declan Rice – 4th
Previous – 4th
Declan Rice looked his usual self here and has stepped out from the “my team had a bad game so I must have been bad” banner in this ranking list. Rice patrolled the midfield defensively with extreme effectiveness and marauded up the pitch as well, adding a new dynamic to his game.
The fact that Bournemouth were restricted to playing counterattacking football essentially all match long, not being able to set up solid play through the midfield or get any results from high possession play is a testament to him having a good match, despite the result.
Attacking Midfielder/Wingers: Felipe Anderson – 10th
Previous – 6th
I suppose this is a genuine drop for Felipe Anderson? Anderson has been quiet in recent weeks and hasn’t provided a magical moment like that beautiful curling goal he scored against Crystal Palace. He offers and is relied on for so much more than goals at West Ham so anyone watching the matches would be able to tell you he is still an effective player, however for a list like this, goals and assists are paramount.
Something I’d like an explanation on would be why exactly Ryan Fraser got a boost from this match where he was invisible? Different result for the teams, I know, but …come on man!