Since this article was published, West Ham have received confirmation that Edson Alvarez will miss the game through suspension thanks to a second red card of the season. Initial reports suggested he would be available after one of those red cards occurred in the League Cup.
West Ham are currently languishing in the bottom half of the table in the Premier League, with new manager, Julen Lopetegui increasingly coming under fire for their poor results and performances.
If there isn’t an upturn in results soon, the 58-year-old Spanish coach could be in big trouble, with the Hammers already supposedly sounding out replacements.
West Ham face Newcastle on Monday at St James’ Park, and stopping their talisman, Alexander Isak, will be key to getting any result against the Magpies and saving Lopetegui’s job.
Why stopping Isak is so important
Isak has started the new campaign with five goals and two assists in his 11 appearances. However, the 25-year-old talisman is actually performing worse than he did last season, at least that is what the metrics tell us.
Goals
0.76
0.63
Assists
0.06
0.21
xG
0.76
0.51
Progressive Carries
2.63
2.24
Progressive Passes
2.81
1.65
Shots Total
2.55
3.75
Goals/Shot
0.23
0.17
Key Passes
1.05
1.18
Shot-Creating Actions
2.70
2.35
Aerial Duels Won
0.46
1.18
Whilst the Swedish striker’s goal rate has slightly dropped off, also generating 0.25 xG fewer per game, he is now creating slightly more for his teammates, increasing his assists from 0.06 per 90 to 0.21 per 90, and improving his key passes per 90 from 1.05 to 1.18.
Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability of a shot resulting in a goal.
Isak’s shot volume has also increased, taking on average 3.75 shots per 90, increasing from 2.55 shots per 90 last season. This indicates, with the 25-year-old’s goal/shot numbers changing, that he is being more effectively stopped in and around the box, having to take more pop shots, and create for others at times rather than being the finisher himself.
So, with Isak now posing more threat in a creative fashion, who could West Ham bring into the side to help nullify that side of their game?
Well, the answer is a player returning from suspension, who was signed last summer to replace Declan Rice.
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How West Ham can stop Alexander Isak
Edson Alvarez was signed from Ajax in the summer of 2023, joining for a fee of around £35.4m. Since joining the Hammers, Alvarez has made 52 appearances for the club, scoring two goals and supplying two assists from his deep-lying position.
West Ham’s “animal” as he was dubbed by former teammate Emerson, has just returned from serving a suspension, having been sent off for two yellow cards against Nottingham Forest, therefore missing the Everton game before the international break.
Now, the 27-year-old will be available to face Newcastle on Monday night, and he could prove to be the answer to stopping Isak’s extra creation threat.
Alvarez is averaging 2.44 tackles, 1.56 blocks, and 1.67 interceptions per 90, the best defensive action numbers in West Ham’s midfield group.
Adding him back into the side in front of the defensive unit, therefore, would allow the Mexican to limit Isak’s central touches in and around the box, which would force Newcastle to look wide instead of going through Isak with ease.
Whilst this could pose other difficulties for the Hammers, as Anthony Gordon would get some joy out wide, something has to be given up, and by forcing them wide and trusting a mix of Alvarez, Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman to deal with crosses into the box, it would largely limit the space inside for Isak to operate and find his best rhythm.
This game could well be make or break for Lopetegui and stopping Isak must be at the forefront of his mind. Do that and there’s a great opportunity for the Irons to take something from the game, thus relieving the pressure on their under-fire head coach.
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