West Ham United have enjoyed an upturn in form recently, winning two of their previous three matches, with a draw against Tottenham Hotspur sandwiched between them.
It’s taken a few weeks, but David Moyes has finally got his side up and running following three consecutive Premier League defeats to open the campaign.
A trip to Chelsea this afternoon will be an excellent test for Moyes and his men against a team who have only won twice so far this season and this is something West Ham can exploit.
There will likely be a few changes to the side as the manager is still working out what his strongest and most effective starting XI is, and with winger Pablo Fornals putting in an underwhelming performance against Spurs in midweek, it could be time to unleash Maxwel Cornet.
Moyes must unleash Cornet
Cornet arrived at West Ham from Burnley in a £17.5m deal as Moyes looked to bolster his wide options. The 25-year-old was excellent last season, scoring nine times and grabbing an assist as Burnley were relegated from the Premier League, but he was one of the bright spots of an otherwise poor campaign.
Cornet displayed his attacking intent by scoring once every 197 minutes, having 1.8 shots per match, as well as missing five big chances, meaning he could well have gone into double figures.
The Ivorian winger scored a few screamers last season and this wildcard ability could be a plus for Moyes against Chelsea.
Although his attacking stats were excellent last year, the winger isn’t afraid to get stuck in and help defensively either.
Cornet made 0.6 tackles and 0.4 interceptions per match in 2021/2022 while winning back possession 0.7 times, proving he can assist the defence when required.
This combination of excellent attacking and defensive stats should surely mean Cornet will be deployed against Chelsea, despite only playing twice in the league for the Hammers this season.
Will Cornet start for West Ham against Chelsea?
He received high praise from his former captain James Tarkowski last year, with the ex-Burnley defender describing him as “different class” not long after he joined the club from Lyon.
He has yet to display these qualities so far at West Ham, but if Moyes gives him a first Premier League start against Chelsea, it will give the 25-year-old a perfect opportunity to put himself in the manager’s plans going forward.
