French defender Issa Diop put in an impressive display against Arsenal last Saturday.
The Hammers fell to a slender 1-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium but Diop was one of the few positives from the loss.
He did extremely well to keep players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Eddie Nketiah and Mesut Ozil quiet for a large portion of the match.
The centre-back proved that he is a key member of the team and could play a large part in helping the team survive relegation by making three interceptions, seven clearances and two tackles (WhoScored) against Mikel Arteta’s side.
Furthermore, the 23-year-old didn’t commit a single foul during the encounter, which goes some way to proving that he makes sensible decisions and isn’t too rash in his challenges.
Diop has played the full 90 minutes in all but one of David Moyes’ matches in charge of the club this season (Transfermarkt), which shows that he is one of the manager’s more dependable players in the squad.
With some big games coming up for the Hammers, more colossal performances like the one in north London might be needed from Diop.
His importance to the side is further proven by the statistic that the Hammers have lost four of the six matches that he has not started in the league this season.
By showing his qualities against the Gunners, he’s given us the impression that he can help keep the door shut defensively for the club in the matches that are coming up, which could ultimately decide if the club stays in the top-flight or not.
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