What an opening month of Barclays Premier League action it has been. Having been full of ups and downs, West Ham United have attained six points out of a possible twelve, and will look to build on this following the international break. There were many terrific individual performances, but we believe one player was at the top of his game. As a result, Read West Ham awards the Player of the Month accolade for August to: Cheikhou Kouyate.
The 25-year-old scored West Ham’s first league goal of the season, instantly making an impact, with a fantastic header against Arsenal thanks to a brilliant delivery from new signing Dimitri Payet. Petr Cech could only watch the ball sail into the back of the net, and the Irons went on to record a fine away win at the Emirates. In addition to the top performance, Kouyate helped 16-year-old youngster Reece Oxford, giving him direction and allowing him to find his feet on the big stage, and thus showing terrific sportsmanship in the process.
Unfortunately, the first game of the final season ay the Boleyn Ground was not one to remember. A 2-1 defeat to Leicester City was not in the script, however the defensive midfielder still managed to bag an assist, teeing up Payet with a neat but perfect pass inside the penalty area. It was a similar story in the third Premier League game, where Bilic’s boys suffered a second home loss in the month of August against newly-promoted AFC Bournemouth. Having scored three goals, the East London club still succumbed to a 4-3 defeat at Upton Park. Kouyate put in a great shift nonetheless, finishing at the near post and getting his second goal of the season with a coolly placed strike.
Finally, the Senegalese powerhouse pivoted the midfield brilliantly in the fabulous 3-0 away win at Anfield. He showed good strength and quick feet, which was extremely important as West Ham spent the majority of the match behind the ball. Four great shifts led to the former Anderlecht man even being linked with a possible move away from the club, with a £15million bid from London rivals Tottenham Hotspur being rumoured.
Alas, he has stayed put and as a result, we have no hesitation in awarding our Player of the Month award for August to Kouyate, and we hope it is the start of many good things to come in a claret and blue shirt. Meanwhile, at international level, Kouyate scored for the Senegal senior side as the Hammers featured for their respective nations.
