West Ham United captain Mark Noble singled out Alphonse Areola for praise following Wednesday’s Carabao Cup triumph over Manchester City, while speaking to the club’s official website.
As far as low-risk signings go, this was right up there.
The addition of Areola, a France international goalkeeper proven in the Premier League on the back of an impressive loan spell at Fulham, might not have made too many headlines outside of East London. But one of the summer’s more understated deals could also turn out to be one of the best.
The 28-year-old is yet to overtake veteran Lukasz Fabianski as West Ham’s number one but, having kept clean sheets in all four of his appearances for the London giants, Areola is certainly staking his claim for a more regular role in David Moyes’ starting XI.
Areola’s run of clean sheets was expected to come to an end when Manchester City came to town in midweek.
But a series of impressive reaction saves – the best seeing him turn away a close-range John Stones header – took City all the way to penalties before Phil Foden’s miss from 12 yards brought an end to Pep Guardiola’s stranglehold on the Carabao Cup.
Should Alphonse Areola now be West Ham’s no 1 goalkeeper?
“Alphonse knows Lukasz is number one at the minute but he’s great around the boys, he doesn’t sulk, he comes in and he’s been fantastic in the Europa League games that he’s played and fantastic in the Carabao Cup games,” said Noble, who rolled back the years with an instrumental midfield performance in the absence of talisman Declan Rice.
“Tonight he showed how good he is and what a great bit of business for us!”
Reports linking West Ham with a number of shot-stoppers – including Barcelona benchwarmer Norberto Neto and England U21 international Etienne Green – means Areola’s future at the London Stadium beyond a short-term loan spell remains uncertain.
36-year-old Fabianski, meanwhile, confirmed to Polish publication Meczyki recently that talks to extend his own contract are very much underway.
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