West Ham United captain Mark Noble admits he did his best to stop the unstoppable Adama Traore during Monday’s thrilling Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, speaking to the Hammers’ website.
Moments like that have been few and far between for Traore this term.
But, 44 minutes into a topsy-turvy clash at Molineux, Wolves’ rocket-fuelled Spain international offered a tantalising reminder of his game-changing qualities with an assist of staggering quality.
Picking up possession inside his own half, Traore accelerated from 0 to 60 in a split second, breezing past Noble and Vladimir Coufal before delivering an inch-perfect cross on to the head of Leander Dendoncker.
And Noble, who was left peeling himself off the Molineux turf as Dendoncker powered home, admits there was very little an oft-impenetrable West Ham defence could do to stop Traore in full flow.
“I tried to foul Adama Traore but he was too quick for me! Then Vlad and Jesse (Lingard) were chasing him back but it’s hard because he’s so quick and powerful,” said the 33-year-old, who made only his fifth start of the league season in Declan Rice’s injury-enforced absence.
Thanks to a stunning 38 minutes of football in the capital, a Champions League-chasing West Ham side were already 3-0 up before Traore set up Dendoncker.
In fact, Traore’s lung-busting charge wasn’t even the best of the game. That honour went to a rejuvenated Lingard, who channelled his inner-Maradona to give David Moyes’ side an early lead.
“It was a great game of football, especially the first 40 minutes!” Noble adds. “It was really, really good. Jesse Lingard was fantastic, Arthur Masuaku came in with an assist, Pablo Fornals produced a great finish.”
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