Recent West Ham signing Said Benrahma made his Irons debut on Saturday in the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, albeit a brief outing in which the Algerian was afforded no time to impact the result.
Having sat out the previous week as the Hammers drew with Manchester City at London Stadium, the winger was deemed fit enough for the bench last weekend and was given his first minutes as a West Ham player.
Saturday’s goalscorer Pablo Fornals, along with Jarrod Bowen, have appeared in every Premier League game this season, scoring five goals between them [Transfermarkt], although in recent weeks it has been more a case of their defensive acumen and work rate shining through as opposed to attacking prowess.
With Fulham up next for David Moyes’ side, the time could be nigh for Benrahma to make his full debut for the club as the Hammers look to return to winning ways in what is on paper a more favorable fixture.
The Algerian terrorised defenders across the Championship last season, including the Fulham backline, picking up two assists and one goal in two league meetings against the Cottagers in 2019/20.
Should Benrahma feature against Scott Parker’s side, it would be the 25-year-old’s second outing against them this season, having scored twice against the west Londoners in the Carabao Cup a month ago whilst still a Brentford player, including one sublime strike.
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Both Fornals and Bowen have put in shifts over the last fortnight in two difficult games and are probably deserving of a rest.
Bowen could well remain in the starting XI in a central striking role following a disappointing performance from Sebastien Haller in the absence of Michail Antonio.
Unlike recent fixtures, Moyes will expect and demand his side to have far more of the ball on Saturday at London Stadium, and with the creative spark of Benrahma at his disposal and Antonio likely to miss out once more, what better time to unleash the Algerian?
