Man City look like they’ll once again be the leading force in the race for the Premier League title while West Ham have had an inconsistent start to the Premier League season.
As we all know, City’s squad is littered with attacking talent and over the summer it was bolstered by the arrival Leicester City’s star man, Riyad Mahrez.
Following the attacking trend, West Ham broke their club record when they signed Felipe Anderson from Lazio over the summer and so far, the Brazilian has looked like a key player for the side.
Riyad Mahrez
Signed for £60 million from Leicester City, Mahrez was added to a side that already had a wealth of attacking talent. This year he’s scored four goals in 11 games and has added another dimension to City’s attacks.
During his time with Leicester City, Mahrez turned himself into one of the best players in the league and was voted as the ‘Player of the Year’ for the 2015/16 season. Despite having Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, Mahrez has given City the ability to have another winger who can come inside and allow the fullback on his side to overlap.
He may not have express pace but his ability to come inside and cause havoc is devastating. His balance is incredible and his talent for beating players in one on one situations has made City’s arsenal almost unbeatable.
TT Grade: A-
During his time in Italy, Felipe Anderson showed his talent but he never showed it consistently enough for Lazio. This season, however, he looks as though he might be in for a big year for his new club and after arriving for a £36 million fee, West Ham will need him to perform.
Already this season, he’s scored four goals in 12 games while also grabbing an assist. In tandem with Marko Arnautovic, Anderson has carried West Ham this season and was a key man in some of their great results against Man U and Chelsea.
He has the incredible ability to lead a one-man counter-attack and could be the star arrival to take West Ham to a top ten finish this season.
TT Grade: B
While Felipe Anderson may turn out to be a great player for West Ham, it’s too early in his career in England to put him ahead of Riyad Mahrez.
Mahrez is a top quality player and at City, he could well take the next to becoming world-class. His skill with the ball is incredible and as it stands, signing over the summer might be the one to help City towards Champions League glory. Indeed, if you consider the fact that David Gold and David Sullivan splashed a club record amount on Felipe Anderson, yet he’s still, levels below Mahrez, you really get a sense of how strong Manchester City are.
