The penultimate round of Premier League fixtures – bar Manchester City hosting Leicester – are in the pages of history, and with the final chapter being drawn up, BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has shared his latest Team of the Week.
The former striker turned football analyst took into consideration the title fight between the Etihad Stadium outfit and Liverpool, the battle for a top-four place, and the race to finish seventh while constructing his top performing side.
Crooks also paid close attention to our final home game of the season, and saw fit to include two of our men in his side, but conceded Southampton’s trip to East London was “a game with little on the line” for either side.
His praise for Marko Arnautovic – who scored twice against the Saints – also soon became a damning assessment of the £31.5million-rated Austrian, with three blunt words used to summarise the forward.
In fact, there was very little praise for the 30-year-old in Crooks’ column at all, despite Arnautovic’s brace taking him onto ten goals for the season across all club competitions.
Hitting the back of Southampton’s net in the 16th and 69th minutes also pulled the 77-cap international further clear as the Hammers’ most influential player, having been directly involved in 30 Premier League goals since the start of last season, 14 more than any other West Ham player – Arnautovic has 20 goals, 10 assists to his name in that time.
But given he has been off the boil so much in 2019, Crooks sought to use his chance to praise a returning to form Arnautovic as the opportunity to criticise instead.
“We’ve seen Marko Arnautovic in this mood before. The Austria international was electric against Southampton,” Crooks wrote. “The problem with Arnautovic is his power surges are too infrequent. He’s moody, temperamental and demanding.
“But West Ham fans love those characteristics in a player. Paolo di Canio and Carlos Tevez had special abilities but were high maintenance – and so too is Arnautovic.
“The problem with Arnautovic is he needs to be playing in a team that can afford such luxuries. West Ham can’t afford power cuts.”
While Arnautovic did not receive much praise from Crooks, Ryan Fredericks did following his first Premier League goal in Claret and Blue.
“I mentioned this lad in dispatches last week without selecting him in my team of the week,” Crooks added. “The former Tottenham trainee seems to be finding his feet at West Ham and making a name for himself at the same time.
“Fredericks was outstanding against Southampton. Every time the Hammers launched an attack, he seemed to be entering the frame in a desperate attempt to join it.
“The defender sees danger, is quick and has a sharp eye for goal. Makes you wonder why Spurs let him go.”
