Stated Benrahma makes his level to earn David Moyes some West Ham respite

This season, specifically, the discrepancy between the latter two events’ obvious opinion of the winger has been a supply of nice friction, nowhere extra clearly than in final weekend’s 4-0 defeat at Brighton, when Benrahma’s half-time substitution prompted the primary of a collection of dissenting chants from the away finish.

Moyes has usually, through the years, been pissed off by the Algerian’s mercurial tendencies and maybe in earlier seasons, when his aspect have been functioning to their fullest, these considerations have been justified.

This time period, nevertheless, it’s little surprise that Benrahma’s utilization has change into such a trigger celebre for supporters disgruntled by a largely abject Premier League marketing campaign, for the reason that 27-year-old is able to the moments of aptitude and leisure which were missing in a lot of the Hammers’ soccer. That was the case on Sunday afternoon, as Benrahma shone in a unusually flat 1-1 draw towards Aston Villa that lifts Moyes’ aspect out of the relegation zone on goal-difference.

The previous Brentford man’s excellent penalty earned a share of the factors after one other ex-Bee, Ollie Watkins, had put Villa forward together with his sixth objective in seven League video games.

Delivering the identical type of constant finish product he managed at Griffin Park has been Benrahma’s greatest problem since swapping west London for east in 2020 however he now has eight objectives and 5 help in all competitions for the Irons this time period, extra objective involvements than another member of Moyes’s squad.

He may properly have added to that tally, twice going shut with back-post volleys after which seeing a rasping strike tipped over the bar by Emi Martinez after an beautiful first contact, although the shot was all the time rising. Late on, he was denied a winner by an excellent Ashley Younger block.

Within the instant aftermath of that opening, Moyes ready to ship on Maxwel Cornet and the sight of the winger ready on the touchline should have had Benrahma fearing his afternoon may once more be ended prematurely. It was telling of his efficiency, nevertheless, that Danny Ings made approach as an alternative.