West Ham earned a comfortable 2-0 win over Watford on Saturday.
West Ham United defender James Collins has told the club’s official website that Marko Arnautovic is beginning to show why he cost the Hammers a huge £25million.
BBC Sport claimed last summer that West Ham had splashed out a club-record £25million fee to land the 29-year-old Austrian from Stoke City, but he struggled to prove his worth earlier in the season.
However, Arnautovic began to show just what he is capable of since the arrival of David Moyes, and the former Werder Bremen and Inter Milan attacker has now scored seven goals in his last nine West Ham games.
He scored the Hammers’ second on Saturday and Collins believes that he is now justifying his price tag, and believes if attacker remains fit then West Ham can propel up the Premier League table.
“Marko is a massive player for us, that’s why the Club paid the fee for him. He made such a difference with his work rate, and his touch for the goal showed the quality that he’s got,” Collins said.
“It certainly makes it easier for the back players if we’re clearing balls and somebody’s chasing it. We can squeeze up the pitch and it gets the fans on their feet. He got a little bit of stick when he first came, but the last few months he’s been fantastic.
“If he can stay fit and play as he is, we’ve got a massive chance of moving up the table.”
David Moyes earned his fifth Premier League win as manager of the east Londoners after Javier Hernandez had given the Hammers the lead with an excellent header in the first half.
Arnautovic then doubled the lead late on, exquisitely controlling a loose ball before instinctively firing past goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis from close range. The win pushes the Hammers into 12th and four points above the relegation zone.
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