Austrian forward Marko Arnautovic took a long time to make his mark at West Ham following a £25million move from Stoke City. He struggled for form in his first few months at the London club.
However, the 28-year-old has produced some brilliant form of late for the Irons in the Premier League. The former Inter man was instrumental in the Irons crucial 4-1 win at Huddersfield on Saturday. He scored once and produced two assists to help the Hammers claim a vital win.
The win moved David Moyes’ side up to 11th place in the Premier League table, five points clear of the relegation zone.
A change in position the key
A change in Arnautovic has been the key to Arnautovic’s rich streak of form. Irons boss Moyes has fielded Arnautovic in a more central position in recent games, either behind the main striker or mainly as the lone striker.
The decision has been a masterstroke from the experienced Moyes. The Austrian’s ability has never been in doubt and using his talent closer to the goal has reaped its rewards.
All six of his goals and three assists in the top-flight this season have come in his last seven Premier League appearances.
A question mark over his consistency
Marko Arnautovic has been a player of considerable potential for most of his career. The Austrian international has undoubted technical ability and is a matchwinner on his day.
At times during his Stoke career, he was on fire. However, he always went through runs of productivity and then disappeared for a number of games, where he struggled to have an impact on the game.
Arnautovic has often been compared to Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the past, mainly due to the reported size of his ego. The difference is that the former Sweden international has picked up a lot of silverware and fulfilled his potential.
Meanwhile, Arnautovic has struggled for consistency in his career at Inter, Stoke and in his early days at West Ham. Question marks have been asked about his mental strengths and his attitude.
To be fair if Arnautovic’s attitude was spot on, then he would be playing for a more high-profile club, as he is as talented as many players playing at the highest level.
One factor in Arnautovic’s recent displays is that boss David Moyes trusts him to be the main man. He is the focal point of the team’s attacking play, which plays to his ego and helps get the best out of the Austrian international.
Moving in the right direction
Marko Arnautovic has played a crucial role in the Irons moving away from the relegation zone. I have to admit that I questioned the appointment of David Moyes as the Irons boss.
His recent record at the Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland certainly did not suggest that he would be a success in east London.
The Irons are moving in the right direction and they are now only a few points off the top-half of the Premier League table. It seems that the bookmakers do not believe that the Irons are going to suffer relegation, as the team from the capital are now odds of 16/1 to suffer the drop this season.
West Ham have no doubt been underperforming this season, especially Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini, who combined well for two of the Irons goal on Saturday. The pair now looks to have a good understanding, which could be the key to the Hammers attacking play improving in the near future.
Arnautovic is in a rich vein of form and he finally looks to be fulling his potential at West Ham. Irons fans will be hoping that the Austrian’s fine run of form continues and he helps them move far away from the drop zone.
Can Marko Arnautovic keep up his rich vein of form?
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