Edson Álvarez has assisted West Ham in overcoming the absence of Declan Rice

When teams earn a significant amount from a sale, they frequently make unwise investments with the money. However, this is not the case for West Ham. The team made a profit from Declan Rice’s transfer to Arsenal during the summer. While they could have used the funds to replace Rice with a single player, they instead made smart purchases to improve their team in various positions.

Although they waited until the end of the transfer window, they made a significant impact on the market. James Ward-Prowse and Edson Álvarez have formed a strong midfield duo in David Moyes’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, and Mohammed Kudus has been a fantastic addition to the team. While he initially had to wait for an opportunity to secure a starting position, his performance against Wolves on Sunday demonstrated that he has fully embraced it.

Michail Antonio’s injury turned out to be a positive outcome for both Kudus and West Ham. Moyes had been looking to add another striker to his team in order to lessen the load on Antonio, but previous attempts with players like Sébastien Haller and Gianluca Scamacca failed to align with the coach’s strategy. However, Jarrod Bowen has seamlessly integrated into West Ham’s attacking line alongside Kudus and Lucas Paquetá, making it one of the most effective in the Premier League.

The reason for this is that the threesome can quickly move forward to defeat their opponents. In just 17.5 seconds, Wolves took a corner and Kudus scored the first goal on Sunday as West Ham efficiently dismantled Gary O’Neil’s team on the counterattack. The trio of attackers now has a solid base to cause damage to other teams, and a large part of this success is due to Álvarez joining the team.

West Ham’s attacking trio has received recognition, but Álvarez’s contribution in the midfield should not be underestimated. Some view the Mexican as the perfect replacement for Rice in east London, adding important defensive stability to the team. This allows the attacking players to focus on scoring goals rather than worrying about their defensive duties.

That’s not to say others in this West Ham side don’t pull their weight – Álvarez ranks fourth for tackles (28) of all Hammers players in the Premier League this season – but that the Mexico international is so often in the right place at the right time to alleviate pressure on the West Ham goal. He has notably adjusted his style of playto suit a gameplan that is the polar opposite of his former employer.

During Álvarez’s final year in the Netherlands, Ajax consistently dominated their opponents. He had an impressive average of 77.3 passes per game, the second highest in the 2022-23 Eredivisie season. As a team, they also had the highest possession rate at 66.7%, with Álvarez often dictating the pace from the midfield. However, at West Ham, he has had to adjust his style of play to shine. The team has a possession average of only 41.7%, the fifth lowest in the English Premier League. Unlike Ajax, who focus on controlling the game, West Ham prefers to sit back and counterattack against their opponents.

Edson Álvarez celebrates against Freiburg with Mohammed Kudus

Alvarez has effortlessly adapted to his new role. While there are some areas of his performance that require improvement, such as his high number of bookings this season (the most in the Premier League), the positives far outweigh the negatives. In a relatively short period, the 26-year-old has become a crucial player for Moyes’s team.

West Ham’s recent performance was negatively impacted by Álvarez’s absence. The team suffered a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham earlier this month while Álvarez was temporarily unable to play due to illness. However, upon his return for the Europa League match against Freiburg, Álvarez assisted Kudus’s goal and scored one of his own. Despite this, West Ham struggled once Álvarez was substituted in the 54th minute, allowing the Bundesliga side to have more success in their attacking plays. While they ultimately lost 2-0 at home, seven of Freiburg’s 12 shots were taken in the final 35 minutes when Álvarez was not on the field.

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This presents another issue as it appears that West Ham does not have enough backup for Álvarez when he is not able to play, making his presence even more crucial in the team. However, his contribution, along with Ward-Prowse, Kudus, and to a lesser extent, Konstantinos Mavropanos, showcases the successful investments made by the Hammers in their squad. Among the four players, Álvarez has played the most significant role in elevating the east London side to a higher level.