The loss of Michail Antonio could open the door for more than just a change at striker for West Ham as possible star should make his debut.
Many supporters and onlookers think the elephant in the claret and blue room is Sebastien Haller who seemingly has to start for West Ham this week. Rightfully so, Haller has been out of favour with the manager but with Antonio now injured, personal preference need to be put aside and the £45m striker has to start.
This will remain a touchy subject, with Andriy Yarmolenko and Jarrod Bowen also getting love as potential striker replacements for Antonio, until David Moyes’ team is confirmed an hour before the match. What is less talked about and more contentious, though, is the thought of dropping Pablo Fornals for Said Benrahma. But Moyes should do it.
Fornals has transitioned into a solid left-winger under Moyes, still favouring in-game returns to his comfortable central attacking mid role. His support of the striker and tracking back down Arthur Masuaku’s flank have both been superb and his effort levels have been top tier in every minute he’s played.
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Stuck in Premier League duty with no Cup action just yet, Fornals has played in every Hammers league match this season and has one goal and two assists to his name thus far. Well on pace to eclipse his two-goal, five-assist tallies from the year prior, Fornals is settling in well to the English game.
Still, it would be the right decision to see Fornals drop out of the starting XI to give newcomer Said Benrahma his West Ham debut. The Algerian winger’s signing was a deadline day thriller and his £30m price tag (over time) suggests he was signed for a reason. No doubt the West Ham board does not want £75m worth of players (just Benrahma and Haller) to be stapled to the bench moving forward.
The forced replacement of Antonio should be looked at as an opportunity by Moyes to see what he has in other secondary attacking options. As well, facing Liverpool is rarely a match the Hammers are favoured in and losing or dropping points to them would be more acceptable (if this were to be the outcome) if Moyes tested out his fringe players in the hopes of spurring them on.
Regardless, neither Fornals nor Benrahma should be stapled starters in this team and Moyes should rely on rotation to avoid injury and keep both players motivated.
This is why it should be expected that Fornals keeps his starting position but Benrahma makes the bench and will enter the game in the second half. Moyes doesn’t love changing his team and with the forced removal of Antonio, look for him to continue his supporting cast of wingers around a new striker.