West Ham’s survival battle has become a struggle of mammoth proportions as the club has spent most of this year within the relegation zone. The Hammers’ Nuno Espírito Santo – inspired upturn in form that saw the Irons unbeaten in six at home this year came to an abrupt end as the Irons were beaten first away at Brentford and then, critically, at home last weekend against VARsenal.
Unbeknown to fans, in addition to some 55,000 in the stadium, West Ham’s thwarted attempt to get something out of the game against Arsenal last weekend was cheered on first hand by two former club stalwarts:
As the NYTimes revealed today:
“Former players Craig Dawson, who left in 2023, and Aaron Cresswell, who left last summer to join Stoke City, attended the loss to Arsenal to cheer on their ex-team-mates and went in the home changing room post-match.”
Aaron Cresswell – former vice captain also threw his weight behind the survival bid
Remarkable, indeed, considering Cresswell was ‘let go’ at the end of his contract by Graham Potter. The former vice captain clearly still has huge affection for the club despite being turfed out unceremoniously by Potter.
And as for Craig “Balon D’awson”: I just wish he’d bought his boots. West Ham could do with a few of his crucial headed goals and something of the Dawson spirit which was so lacking in the first half of this season.
Just a shame the duo couldn’t inspire a better outcome – but West Ham’s fighting spirit and never say die attitude displayed against the Gunners is typical of the resilience shown by Daws and Cressie throughout their Hammers careers.
It is also exactly the never say die spirit they’ll need to take with them to St James’s Park tomorrow and it might just have been fostered further by the support given by the pair of former Hammers defenders. Good on them.