Former West Ham United player and manager Harry Redknapp has heaped praise on centre-back Angelo Ogbonna following his performance against Fulham on Saturday.
The experienced Italian centre-back was making his first Premier League start in more than a month for West Ham against London rivals Fulham, partnering Kurt Zouma at the heart of the back four, with David Moyes changing three of the four-man defence from the side that had lost 5-1 at home to Newcastle United less than 72 hours earlier.
In the game, Ogbonna and Zouma especially were excellent at the back and between them, made 25 of the Hammers’ 61 clearances, with Ogbonna chipping in 12 and Zouma adding 13 of his own.
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On top of that, Ogbonna also put in a crucial block in the second half to cut out a Carlos Vinicius cross, as well as going close to scoring with an acrobatic effort at the end of a set-piece.
In his latest Premier League Team of the Week column for BetVictor, Redknapp praised Ogbonna’s performance and his experience, as well as saying that he is a player Moyes can count on in the middle of a relegation battle.
“Next up, I’m picking Angelo Ogbonna,” said Redknapp, who spent ten years at the club as a player between 1962 and 1972 and seven more as a manager between 1994 and 2001.
“This lad has been a great servant for West Ham for years and he was outstanding at Craven Cottage at the weekend.
“David Moyes needs players he can rely on and Ogbonna is definitely that. He’s got bags of experience and a real love for the club, the sort of player you need in a relegation fight.”
Harry Redknapp’s Premier League Team of the Week in full: Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal); Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham United), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), Toti Gomes (Wolverhampton Wanderers); Michael Olise (Crystal Palace), Philip Billing (Bournemouth), Matheus Nunes (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Jack Grealish (Manchester City); Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
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