The remarkable turn in form from a desperate season gone by to now for West Ham has seen previously flopping players return to form, none more so than Aaron Cresswell.
Much-maligned, often by me, for his performances over the past three seasons, Aaron Cresswell has had a much-needed and surprising resurgence under David Moyes. The defacto starting left-back for West Ham since his arrival in 2014 had seen his impressive form nose-dive after injury, only now showing he has regained his ability.
In the 2016/17 season, Cresswell sustained a four-month and 13 game injury to his knee. Since then, and under three different managers, Cresswell has seen a drop in his form at left-back, seemingly fading over time due to age, physical limitations, and possibly mental hurdles too big to overcome.
David Moyes’ second stint with the club has forced Cresswell into the left centre-back role he briefly cameoed in during Moyes’ first run at West Ham, and he has been thriving ever since. Playing alongside Angelo Ogbonna centrally, and Arthur Masuaku as a wingback, Cresswell is revitalized in his new role.
With three assists on the season, Cresswell only trails Harry Kane (7) and John McGinn (4) for creative tallies, as he is level with the often celebrated Jack Grealish and James Rodriguez.
The creative spark has come from his hybrid role and ability to get forward on the left-flank as a centre-back/fullback, rotating with Masuaku. He also primarily owns West Ham set pieces and has created plenty of opportunities for his teammates from these situations.
David Moyes hasn’t received much credit for stabilizing West Ham, wisely investing with meandering owners, and motivating his team to become one of the most surprisingly strong teams in this young season. Any onlooker should look at Cresswell’s season so far and applaud the manager as much as the player for this turn in form.
Cresswell won’t shock you with his physicality, or boom past players with his pace, but in a revitalized centre-back role that allows him to use his teammates more, he is proving to be a deep-laying ace in West Ham’s backline. Deep creativity, positional awareness, and simple things done well all contribute to Cresswell’s return to form.