Michail Antonio has voiced his admiration for a certain “unbelievable” player who he believes is particularly unfortunate not to secure regular starting positions this season, writes the Hammer.News.
Under the management of West Ham boss David Moyes, some tough decisions had to be made at the outset of the season, and Michail Antonio himself was among the players who found themselves sidelined on certain occasions.
However, the Jamaica international has chosen to shine a spotlight on a teammate whom he deems exceptionally unfortunate not to feature regularly. The player in question is Alphonse Areola, who was designated as West Ham’s number one goalkeeper at the commencement of the season, while Lukasz Fabianski transitioned to the backup role.
Fabianski, a 38-year-old goalkeeper, publicly expressed feeling disrespected by Moyes due to the manner in which the manager handled the decision. However, it’s essential to note that Areola has been displaying top-notch form since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, justifying his role as West Ham’s Premier League goalkeeper.
Fabianski has continued to contribute in European competitions and the Carabao Cup, consistently emphasizing his determination to regain his place in the Premier League starting lineup.
Michail Antonio shed light on the ongoing competition for the number one goalkeeper spot at the London Stadium, sharing his perspective on Lukasz Fabianski’s situation. He expressed the belief that Fabianski can consider himself unfortunate to have been relegated to the bench for Premier League matches:
“At West Ham right now, we have Alphonse Areola in goal. But over the last five years, Lukasz Fabianski has been unbelievable. He has pulled us out of some unbelievable situations, he’s been unreal. At the start of the season though, the gaffer says to him he’s making Areola number one this season. Lukasz has been unbelievable and he could easily be our number one this season. Alphonse has been unbelievable this year too. We know that if something happens to Alphonse, we’ve got Lukasz, and we’re not worried.”
The battle for the goalkeeper position at West Ham appears to be fierce, and both Fabianski and Areola have made their cases, leaving Moyes with a challenging decision regarding who to field as the club’s primary goalkeeper.