West Ham have been handed a potentially significant advantage ahead of Saturday’s Championship showdown with leaders Swansea City. The Swans are facing a problem at right-back, and it could present Nuno Espírito Santo with the perfect opportunity to unleash Edvin Austbø.
Swansea will be without suspended defender Filip Lissah, who collected his fifth yellow card of the season during Tuesday’s victory at Millwall. First-choice right-back Josh Key is already sidelined with a hamstring injury, leaving Vítor Matos without a recognised senior player in that position.
According to BBC Sport Wales, Swansea may have to use centre-back Stephen Welsh, switch a left-back across to the opposite flank or even deploy Brazilian winger Ronald in defence. Whichever option Matos chooses, it looks like an opportunity West Ham simply have to exploit.
West Ham’s Edvin Austbø could be in line for a start against Swansea
Austbø Has Earned His Opportunity
Edvin Austbø did everything required against Lincoln City to claim a starting place on West Ham’s left.
The Norwegian was introduced at half-time and immediately transformed the attack, scoring a sensational individual goal before delivering the corner from which Pablo scored.
As noted in the Claret & Hugh player ratings, Austbø provided more creativity and attacking quality in a few minutes than West Ham had produced throughout most of the first half.
It isn’t merely that he has done enough to displace Manor Solomon. The Israeli was probably West Ham’s worst player against nine-man Lincoln.
Those are precisely the matches in which you expect your most creative players to unlock a stubborn defence, but Solomon repeatedly surrendered possession and failed to make an impact.
Solomon Has Every Reason To Need A Rest
There is no shame in Solomon being rested. He had just returned from a hectic international schedule involving four matches in 11 days, and fatigue may well have contributed to his performance at Sincil Bank.
However, selection has to be based on form as well as reputation.
Austbø changed the game, brought urgency to West Ham’s left side and demonstrated that he can both score and create. With Swansea forced to field a makeshift right-back, Saturday appears to be the perfect occasion to reward him with a start.
West Ham cannot afford to ignore such an obvious tactical opportunity against the Championship leaders.
How many times have we played teams with selection problems, and still can’t take advantage
We’ll need to put in a better performance than we have done recently in order to prosper at Swansea.