3 minute read
3/10/2022 | 08:15pm
David Moyes led West Ham United to just their second Premier League win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday evening.
It was a solid performance by Moyes’ team and should give them confidence going forward into a busy October.
Who did West Ham lose their first league game of the season against?
One player in particular that stood out for West Ham, even more so considering he was playing at right-back instead of his usual centre-back spot, was summer arrival Thilo Kehrer, and he could well be one of the best signings of the transfer window.
West Ham have struck gold
The German defender was excellent against Wolves, making five tackles, four clearances, and winning five out of his eight duels as the Old Gold couldn’t find a way beyond the solid West Ham backline.
Since joining the club from PSG in the summer for a fee of just £10.1m, which was described by Roshane Thomas as a “brilliant addition” to the team, he has settled in extremely well.
Kehrer ranks third in the West Ham side for pass success rate (87.2%) and he has taken on average, 54.3 touches per match, proving he is always keen to get involved and keep the ball circulating. That element of composure is hugely important to Moyes who will no doubt value calm build up play from the back.
In the West Ham squad, Kehrer also ranks second for clearances per game (3.7), proving he he can also be no-nonsense in his approach. He ranks fourth for interceptions (1.5), and seventh for tackles per game (1.2), suggesting that he has eased into Premier League life and is adding some quality to Moyes’ backline.
With those numbers in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that Hansi Flick dubbed the versatile ace a “complete” player.
Further praise was forthcoming after the Europa Conference League win against Silkeborg, with writer Craig Morrison lavishing praise upon Kehrer, claiming he “is going to prove the bargain of the year”. Certainly, with his initial performances, this prophecy could well be spot on by the end of the season.
Will West Ham defeat Anderlecht on Thursday?
Yes
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Indeed, the German defender is already valued at a whopping £26m by Football Observatory, a 157% increase on their initial investment.
The most remarkable thing about the move for the German, however, was Moyes selling Issa Diop for £15m and bringing the 26-year-old in as a replacement while still having the best part of £5m in the bank.
Getting rid of a player whose contract was set to expire next season and then signing a proven Germany international, is simply excellent business by Moyes and it could well be the deal of the summer.
