West Ham defender earns praise from pundit.
Garth Crooks named three West Ham players in his Premier League Team of the Week for BBC Sport.
He was impressed with the Hammers’ defending against Leicester City in Saturday’s 1-1 draw.
Crooks picked out Pablo Zabaleta, Fabian Balbuena, and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
He reserved special praise for veteran star Zabaleta.
Crooks told BBC Sport: “Zabaleta was part of an heroic performance by West Ham’s defence, in a team who played much of the game with 10 men.
“He’s an old boy who has still got it.”
West Ham saw midfielder Mark Noble sent off early at the King Power and they had to defend their lead after Balbuena had netted early, his first for the club.
Only a late deflected strike from Wilfried Ndidi denied the Hammers victory.
When Zabaleta made his debut for the club in 2017 many feared he was past it.
There have been a few suspect moments, but the fact he is still a regular even now tells it’s own story on how he has been able to change opinions and prove his worth.
As this weekend’s performance shows, at the age of 33, he is still a valuable contributor.
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