Said Benrahma is a man in fine form.
The Algerian winger seems to have taken to life in the Premier League like a duck to water. Indeed, two assists in just three games is nothing to be dismissed – he may have yet to find himself on the scoresheet for his new club, but the signs coming from the wizardry of Benrahma are illustrative of the shrewdness of West Ham’s acquisition. It’s little wonder that so many Hammers fans are already singing his praises unreservedly.
Irons fans will be all too familiar with the late drama in bringing Benrahma to London Stadium. Medical scares, deal restructuring and earlier interest from fellow London outfit Crystal Palace were just some of the potentially calamitous obstacles plaguing the Hammers’ path to securing the Algerian. However, West Ham triumphed amid the chaos and are now reaping the benefits.
The instant impact of Benrahma is a testament to his abilities. His record at Brentford, where he attracted serious attention from the Premier League, is jaw-droppingly promising. A haul of 30 goals and 27 assists in just 90 games for the Bees speaks for itself.
However, even the underlying goal involvement statistics fail to do the winger full justice. What sets apart Benrahma from most in the West Ham squad is his sheer technical ability – Sam Saunders, his former coach at Brentford, memorably said that the 25-year-old “could nutmeg a mermaid“, so intricate is his skill.
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His assist for the match-winning header by Jarrod Bowen on Monday night is just one glimpse of the lucrative potential that Benrahma offers to the Hammers. Immediately after coming off the bench at half-time, he had enough time and space to gently float in a whipped cross with world-class precision after shimmying round multiple Aston Villa players.
In a further boost, Benrahma’s versatility cannot be ignored. Adept on either flank, one cannot help but think that he would even be able to fill in on occasion as a deeper-lying centre-forward to set up teammates from a more central position. Again, his most recent assist demonstrated his ability to drive past opponents and utilise space well.
After a last-minute alteration to the deal, Brentford technically still retain the services of Benrahma as his parent club. However, the attached option to buy for the £19.5m-rated man will almost certainly have to be met if the Algerian’s fine form continues.
