West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell should get the nod over teammate Arthur Masuaku at left-back.
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has favoured a back four during his career and the opening day defeat at the hands of Liverpool may have given him a nudge when it comes to his left-back dilemma.
The Hammers currently have Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku as the two senior full-back options on the left at the London Stadium.
Masuaku was terrorised by a lethal Liverpool attack at the weekend in a 4-0 defeat, while Cresswell was not included in the squad after playing very little in pre-season due to an injury.
West Ham ace Masuaku is a left-sided ace with brilliant pace and trickery, something he proved last season when operating as a wing-back under ex-manager David Moyes.
However, the 24-year-old is not defensively switched on enough to play consistently in a traditional back four and Pellegrini should perhaps deploy him further forward.
That would leave 28-year-old Cresswell as the main candidate for the left-back role and he may be a much better fit.
Most defenders in the Premier League are going to struggle to handle Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side this campaign, but a poor display in defence from Masuaku wasn’t a one-off and he looks much more comfortable going forward.
Cresswell should be able to slot into the starting XI for West Ham and give the back-line a more solid look.
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