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West Ham vs. Saints marquee match up; Djenepo and Jeremy Ngakia

By Adam Smith

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 29: Jeremy Ngakia of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool FC at London Stadium on January 29, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 29: Jeremy Ngakia of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool FC at London Stadium on January 29, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images) /
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A trip to Anfield and a surprise start for U23 youngster Jeremy Ngakia saw an untested prospect faceoff with one of the Premier League’s best. What followed was a strong performance and hope for more development.

Two Premier League starts for Jeremy Ngakia, West Ham’s 19-year-old contingency plan at right-back, and both came against Liverpool. While Sadio Mane missed the first match the Senegalese speedster was back and rather contained in the second leg of the season series.

Largely thanks to his speed, willingness to stay back and listen for direction, and calm composure on the ball, Jeremy Ngakia did about as well as anyone could have predicted when facing Liverpool and Mane.

With Ryan Fredericks having gone through a shoulder procedure and now being given a six-week timetable for return, all eyes fall on Ngakia to take up the everyday starting mantle at right-back. While the task is tall for a relegation battling team, all signs point to him being up to the challenge.

The first task post-Liverpool is a speedy and scrappy Southampton team who come to East London riding some solid results, including a 2-0 win over Aston Villa last week. While they don’t have a Sadio Mane to boast, they do have an impressive Moussa Djenepo.

Djenepo ranks 18th in the Premier League for take-ons with 44 so far this season, and while that does put him out of the elite range (like Felipe Anderson‘s 62), his speed and dribbling agility combined make him a formidable winger and sits him alongside Sadio Mane, Marcus Rashford, and above Roberto Firmino and Raheem Sterling for the stat.

Ngakia will have his hands full, but the youngster showed he can handle Premier League pressure and was second in passes for West Ham defenders against Liverpool. His decision making against the Reds showed his composure and also his ability to determine when it was time to clear his lines and when he could hold onto the ball and make a dribble and pass.

Next. West Ham: No Tomas Soucek, no problem for the midfield. dark

Djenepo has been a revelation down the left side for Ralph Hassenhutl’s team, but with just two goals and two assists in the Premier League, the speed and agility of Ngakia will likely keep him on the outside. Help from Jarrod Bowen and Declan Rice wouldn’t hurt either! Flying high right now, there is no reason to believe Jeremy Ngakia won’t thrive against Southampton.