West Ham will be looking to get back to winning ways following their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace when they take on Fulham in another London derby next Friday at the London Stadium.
And it is a London derby that should see the return of Samir Nasri — an individual who could have a huge impact on the game — after his calf injury.
The 31-year-old joined the Hammers at the end of last December on a free transfer and is now set to come up against another experienced Premier League player in Ryan Babel.
Samir Nasri
Having seen little action on the pitch in the last year due to a doping ban, many West Ham fans were sceptical over the signing of Nasri.
However, in the few games he has played for the club since joining, the Frenchman has shown his value with some very bright performances.
Against his former side Arsenal, in particular, Nasri impressed as West Ham went on to claim a 1-0 victory at the London Stadium.
The ex-France international set up Declan Rice’s well-taken goal with a perfectly weighted lay-off in a game where he gave the opposition a headache all afternoon.
As ever, his first touch was immaculate, while his passing and the positions he was taking up would have had hit some Arsenal supporters with the feeling of unwanted nostalgia.
TT Grade: B-
Ryan Babel
Like Nasri, Babel has arrived at his new club on a short-term deal with Fulham having been in the market for some experience as they look to secure Premier League safety.
Unfortunately for the west London side, though, Babel’s addition has not been enough to help him climb out of the relegation zone. A return to the Championship now seems inevitable if it had not already.
That, however, does not necessarily mean Babel has been a terrible signing. The 32-year-old has added some real width and energy down the Cottagers’ left flank.
Still, his goal-scoring record down the years suggests that he was never going to come in and find the back of the net on a regular basis, something which Fulham needed with their porous defence certainly not able to help the team’s cause.
TT Grade: C
TT Verdict:
Two very experienced Premier League players, Nasri and Babel have given the squads of West Ham and Fulham boosts.
Out of the recent signings, though, Nasri seems the better capture. The West Ham man has slotted in well to his new team and is an ideal fit for Manuel Pellegrini’s style of football.
Meanwhile, Babel, for as good of a player he is, has not really fixed or drastically improved Claudio Ranieri’s side.
