For the win over Southampton Manuel Pellegrini reverted back to basics, lining up in a four, four, two formation and it worked. The Hammers were victorious over their relegation rivals 1-0 thanks to a goal from top scorer Sebastien Haller. But it came at a cost. Felipe Anderson was dropped to the bench, and the Chilean tactician needs to think of a way to get his most creative player back into the side.
Anderson is relatively inflexible when it comes to positioning, but he can play on the left side of a midfield four, where Pablo Fornals was deployed against the Saints. The pair have the joint-most assists for the Hammers this season with three each, so it is essential both are included in the starting eleven. If Pellegrini were to put the Brazilian on the left side of midfield, Fornals could operate alongside Declan Rice in the middle, but it would be a bold move to drop captain Mark Noble.
If the Chilean would prefer to keep a stable midfield pairing of Rice and Noble, then the alternative is to drop Robert Snodgrass and place Anderson on the right side of the midfield. The Brazilian prefers to cut inside, but he is an excellent crosser of the ball and Haller has won the most aerial battles of any player in the Premier League this season. Though Crystal Palace have a commanding backline, who are adept at dealing with crosses.
A slightly more adventurous option for Pellegrini would be to alter his midfield shape into a diamond, using wither Noble or Rice at the base, with Snodgrass and Anderson in the channels. Fornals can play as an attacking midfielder, at the tip of the diamond and playing the in-form Spaniard close to both strikers could be a way of getting the best out of his creative abilities.
Pellegrini may yet opt to play it safe and stick with the starting eleven which got him the much needed three points against Southampton. But sooner or later he is going to have to bring the Brazilian winger back into the side, he is one of West Ham’s most potent creative threats, and he deserves his place in the starting lineup.
