Since David Moyes switched West Ham’s formation to five-at-the-back, the defence has monumentally improved not just in terms of solidity, but also in an attacking sense.
Having played Arsenal, Wolves, Leicester, Tottenham, and Manchester City within this time-frame, West Ham have only conceded six goals – a respectable amount given the quality of opposition.
During this run, Moyes’ men have lost just once in an unfortunate defeat to the Gunners, but with an away game against current Premier League champions Liverpool up next on Saturday, it will likely be their toughest challenge yet as the Reds boast the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah in their frontline.
Angelo Ogbonna has remained a constant in the Hammers defence and everybody is aware of what he brings to the team in terms of ability and leadership, but recently his partners Aaron Cresswell – who has come under scrutiny in past seasons – and Fabian Balbuena have managed to reignite their West Ham careers after impressing in a back three.
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Cresswell, whilst not being built like a typical centre-back, provides a perfect blend of solidity when defending and on-the-ball ability that gives him the license to roam forward to support wing-back Arthur Masuaku in transition.
This tactic has contributed significantly to the way in which the Hammers currently attack, as Cresswell’s superb delivery has seen him gain three assists so far this season, with another one being harshly chalked off due to Tomas Soucek‘s header against Wolves being given as an own goal.
It isn’t just the Liverpudlian who has been contributing assists though, as seven of West Ham’s 12 goals this season have been set up by defenders.
New-boy Vladimir Coufal has impressed defensively since he has joined the club, but he has also assisted two goals in his last two games, whilst Arthur Masuaku and Ryan Fredericks both have one apiece.
This proves that whilst a five-at-the-back formation may appear defensive on paper, if it is played functionally with a balance between defence and attack, it can provide the best of both worlds.
The aforementioned Fredericks was arguably West Ham’s best performer over the first two games of the season but picked up a hamstring injury against Wolves which triggered the signing of Coufal.
Whilst the former may feel unlucky to now be sitting on the bench, it is encouraging that a position of worry during the summer is now a position of strength and one that Hammers fans feel can be relied upon were one of those two options to get injured.
On the opposite side, the depth is not as great, but Masuaku is proving what an integral part of the team he can be, not just offensively, but as a defender too.
This formation is providing both performances and results, and whilst fans may be eager to see extra attackers in the team, the sensible option is the continuation of the tried and tested and what is ultimately working.