The West Ham United defender did everything asked of him this weekend.
West Ham United may not have won against Everton this weekend, but the Hammers still have plenty to be proud of as they prevented the previously free-scoring Toffees from finding the back of the net.
A chief reason for that was the performance of centre-back James Collins, who fared brilliantly against Belgian international Romelu Lukaku and ensured West Ham took a share of the spoils on the day.
The Hammers have not always had the best defence this season, with Slaven Bilic’s side looking porous for much of the campaign, but on recent evidence Collins deserves to be starting week in, week out.
That is something his supporters have been clamouring for, and if Saturday is anything to go by Collins should now be one of the first names on the team sheet.
| Tackles Won | Effective Clearances | Effective Headed Clearances | Duels Won | Aerials Won | Interceptions Won | Ball Recoveries | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Collins | 3 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 90 |
Against Everton, the Welsh international made 16 effective clearances, recovered the ball five times and won seven duels.
The West Ham fan favourite also won three aerial battles, three tackles and five interceptions, proving his importance in emphatic fashion.
Next up for the Hammers is a trip to Stoke City and Collins will again be integral to their game plan.
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