West Ham United’s captain fantastic was one of the best players on the pitch against Manchester United and that might be bad news for Jack Wilshere.
West Ham pulled off a fine win against Manchester United on Sunday thanks to goals from Andriy Yarmolenko and Aaron Cresswell. The latter’s fantastic free kick late in the second half will take a ton of plaudits but Mark Noble was arguably the best player on the pitch for the Hammers.
The signing of Pablo Fornals and the return from injury of Manuel Lanzini and Jack Wilshere brought doubts over Noble’s starting role at the club before the start of the season. However, the veteran has proven yet again that age is just a number and that he is an integral part of Pellegrini’s side from the start every week.
This gives Pellegrini a massive headache in terms of team selection with Wilshere raring to go but the former Arsenal man could well get used to being a substitute. Wilshere’s quality has never been doubted but playing him has always been a risk considering his injury problems.
Noble’s form, consistency and work rate trumps everything that Wilshere has to offer to West Ham and with the likes of Lanzini, Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson providing enough creativity in the attacking areas, Pellegrini’s decision becomes a lot easier, especially against the bigger teams in the Premier League.
As tough as this will be for a player of Wilshere’s quality, this is definitely good news for West Ham. The Englishman has the ability to change games from the bench and him fighting for a starting spot every week will only help him get better.
West Ham are showing good signs and consistent performances throughout the season could well help them reach their ambitions of playing European football next season. Wilshere is undoubtedly an integral part of that project and his value, even if he is a substitute in most games, is massive for Pellegrini and West Ham this season.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
