West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola is under scrutiny following his performance in the team’s crushing 4-1 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday.
Despite West Ham taking an early lead through Mohammed Kudus, the Hammers could not maintain control of the match, conceding three goals in an eight-minute span during the second half.
Tony Cottee questions Alphonse Areola’s form
Former West Ham striker Tony Cottee has expressed concerns over Alphonse Areola’s recent performances, particularly his distribution and command of the penalty area.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Cottee highlighted that while Areola is a capable shot-stopper, there seems to be a lack of confidence in the Frenchman that might be affecting West Ham’s defensive stability.
The pundit said:
“I must admit at the moment the goalkeeper doesn’t fill me with any confidence. He is a good shot-stopper, but his distribution, his command of the penalty area, I think there seems to be a lot of hesitancy in front of him.”
Areola’s struggles were most evident during Tottenham’s third goal. His poor distribution resulted in a swift Spurs counter. After saving an initial shot from Son, the ball deflected off Jean-Clair Todibo before ricocheting back off Areola, resulting in an own goal that further cemented West Ham’s collapse.
Despite these recent difficulties, Areola has had some memorable moments at West Ham since joining on loan from PSG in 2021, before making the move permanent in 2022.
He played a vital role in the Hammers’ Europa League journey during the 2021-22 season and helped secure the UEFA Europa Conference League title in 2023.
Julen Lopetegui under pressure after poor start
New manager Julen Lopetegui has made the worst possible start to his West Ham tenure. The club backed him substantially in the transfer window, with the Hammers among the busiest clubs in the market, spending over £100m to bolster the squad.
However, despite that, they have only won twice in the league so far, losing 4 and drawing 2, as they sit 15th in the table.
As the pressure mounts on Lopetegui, talks regarding a change in manager has begun, with several managers being linked with the job.
Among them is Brentford manager Thomas Frank, who has been tipped to take over the job by Darren Bent.
The former Real Madrid manager really needs to turn the season around quickly before the club owners lose patience. He may already be without the complete support from those within the club, with a recent report suggesting that the club’s technical director Tim Steidten was against his appointment from the start.
