West Ham can boast a strong attack when selected correctly, with no guarantee of that happening, West Ham’s Wizard COULD be central in the marquee matchup.
With the holiday scheduling cramp coming to a close and a ten-day rest awaiting West Ham, David Moyes has nothing to lose in picking his best XI to face off with Everton. The past two matches have seen disappointing team selections from the Scottish manager, leaving his most potent offensive pieces disjointed and on the bench.
The main argument at the moment is whether to start the underperforming Sebastien Haller up top or move to the injury-prone and not 100% Michail Antonio. With plenty of focus on the center of the attack, a more pressing matter resides on the left-wing.
Said Benrahma, the player every West Ham supporter is patiently waiting to see take off, has yet to get a hold on the left-wing position. Many speculate that Moyes doesn’t rate him and would rather stick Pablo Fornals in that position instead, but Moyes does have a track record with weening players into the starting XI as he did with Jarrod Bowen.
It is seemingly now or never for Benrahma as he livened the match against Southampton, instigating and nearly finishing the best attack of the game for either side. His sub on in the 60th minute, followed by the introduction of Bowen and Antonio changed the game for the Hammers.
Instead of looking back and asking what could have been with more minutes, Moyes needs to look forward and lean on his skill players to get a result in this match. Everton will likely throw Mason Holgate in at right-back over Seamus Coleman, which can neutralize the speed of Benrahma.
Neither player can hang with West Ham’s Algerian skiller, but Holgate’s speed and Coleman’s physicality would both present unique challenges. An added bonus to this match would be the reintroduction of wingbacks into the team, giving Benrahma a runner in Ben Johnson, and a more creative option in Aaron Cresswell.
If we don’t see Benrahma starting in this match something is off behind the scenes. Regardless, when more offence is needed he will be leaned on and will likely return on the time investment. Everton are a tough side but if Benrhama starts the Hammers have a promising outlook.