One of West Ham United’s most scrutinised players of late Michail Antonio has made the Premier League team of the week.
West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini and Dimitri Payet have both been injured
The Hammers are suffering a glut of injuries to key players already this season with the likes of Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Andre Ayew, Aaron Cresswell, Andy Carroll and Sofiane Feghouli all out.
Slaven Bilic has endured a tough time in the transfer market with a summer-long hunt for a marquee striker who can get 20 plus goals seemingly ending with the club paying over the odds for Ayew at £20.5 million.
Michail Antonio has struggled at right back
In the background West Ham fans have been growing increasingly frustrated with Bilic for the first time due to his insistence on playing Michail Antonio at right back.
The powerful winger scored and assisted 15 goals last season after breaking into the Hammers side in December.
Not only is Antonio reluctant to play there, he has also been making a mistake per game when he is used in that position, none more costly than his error which gifted Chelsea the lead in the season opening defeat at Stamford Bridge.
Antonio celebrates scoring the first Premier League goal at the Olympic Stadium
The former Nottingham Forest man put all that behind him, though, when he was restored to his natural position on the wing and scored the vital goal in a 1-0 win over Bournemouth on Sunday – West Ham’s first Premier League game at their new 60,000 seater home.
Antonio told Four Four Two in the summer that he wants to become the best winger in the Premier League.
Well he was at the weekend according to the official Premier League team of the week.
Antonio towers above the Bournemouth defence to score
Antonio picked up 13 points in the Sky Sports Fantasy Football charts which secured his place on the right side of midfield.
The winger joined Watford’s Etienne Capoue, Hull City super sub Shaun Maloney and Everton’s Gareth Barry in midfield behind a front three of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cristhian Stuani and Andre Gray.
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