West Ham have become over-reliant on Michail Antonio

When he plays, Michail Antonio is without a doubt West Ham’s most effective player. This, however, with his track record of injury woes, is not as much of a positive as it should be.

The 29-year-old has proved many Hammers fans wrong over the past year, as his game has returned to the previous levels of his first two seasons at the club. He strikes fear into the opposition, and most of the time they have no idea how to handle him.

This was as evident as ever yesterday in West Ham’s 3-3 draw with Brighton, as Antonio caused the visitors’ defense trouble all afternoon, with his pace and power helping surge West Ham into a 3-1 lead, to which Seagulls boss Graham Potter had no answer to.

However, everything started to collapse when David Moyes decided to bring Antonio off, having worked tirelessly all afternoon. The decision to replace him was understandable in itself, having just returned from another hamstring injury. But the moment he left the pitch, Brighton had a weight lifted off their shoulders and were then worry-free, as his replacement Arthur Masuaku slotted into a back five.

Within just five minutes the score was level, and for the remainder of the match, only one team looked like they were going to go on and win. And it wasn’t West Ham.

In terms of stats, he is actually having an under-par season, with just one goal and one assist to show for his valiant efforts, but they certainly don’t paint the full picture.

Without Antonio, West Ham lack the directness to hurt their opposition. Sometimes he may be erratic, frustrating, and often even selfish, but he brings an unpredictability to this Hammers side that nobody else in the squad is currently capable of showing. He is willing to go that extra mile for the team, and his presence often disguises the fact that West Ham are currently such a poor team, such is his positive impact on the pitch.

But, worryingly, a team who relies on one injury-prone player to such a degree will always have a battle on its hands, especially when Antonio could pull up at any given time during a game, causing him to miss another month of this crucial climax to the season.

With the signing of Jarrod Bowen being completed on Friday, supporters are hoping that he can add a style of play to the team which compliments Antonio’s, and one that causes Moyes not to be so reliant on just one individual.