While he didn’t score any of the three goals that earned West Ham United a point against Tottenham Hotspur, Aaron Cresswell played an integral role in the comeback – showing how important he can be from the left-centre-back position.
The 30-year-old’s delivery from free-kicks were simply sublime, and it is one of those, which was placed perfectly on Fabian Balbuena’s head, that allowed the Paraguayan to get our first of the game.
While he didn’t get a direct assist for Manuel Lanzini’s stunning equaliser, it is Cresswell’s delivery into the box that caused the initial problems in the Spurs box, as he put it in a position that stopped them convincingly clearing the ball.
Both of these moments offer a reminder of just how influential his quality from set-pieces can be, but he offered more than that.
The defender showed how effective he can be in the tackle, as he was successful in all three of those that he attempted throughout the 90 minutes. In addition to that, he also made one clearance.
How would you rate Cresswell's performance against Spurs?
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One area where he will look to improve is in the air, as he lost out in both of his aerial duels. This proved particularly costly against Harry Kane.
When Sergio Reguilon crossed the ball into the box, Cresswell sprinted back but was unable to get to the ball ahead of the England international or do anything to put him off as he scored the third of the game.
Considering he’s just 5’7″, it is understandable that he is going to struggle a bit in aerial duels, however, he does need to do his utmost to at least ensure the opposition don’t get a clear header in dangerous situations.
As would be expected, Cresswell offered quality on the ball outside of his set-pieces, as he completed 88% of his passing.
The above shows that, especially in this relatively new position he finds himself in, Cresswell can be an important player for us moving forward.
