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26-year-old West Ham star simply needs to start scoring more often – TBR View

Pablo Fornals is at a stage in his West Ham career where he needs to add more goals to his game.

The 26-year-old was signed by Manuel Pellegrini in the summer of 2019 and endured a slow start to life in East London, scoring two goals in 36 Premier League appearances. However, he has turned into a fan favourite in the years since. His desire and work rate is everything the Hammers faithful want from a player wearing the famous claret and blue shirt.

Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images

It’s this attitude that has seen him become a key player under David Moyes. His second season for West Ham was much more successful. Although the Spaniard made fewer appearances, he ended the season with five league goals, including a final day brace against Southampton to secure Europa League football.

The Spaniard has already matched last season’s goal tally having played nine fewer games. However, in order to keep progressing in the right direction, he will have to add some more before the end of the season.

West Ham’s goal outlets

It is well known that West Ham are lacking in the centre-forward position. Michail Antonio, who started out as a right-back, is the club’s only recognised striker. After Sebastien Haller was sold to Ajax last season, Jesse Lingard came in on loan to fire the Hammers into the Europa League.

Antonio’s goals have dried up after a strong start to the season. Finding the back of the net just once in 2022 so far. Fortunately for the Hammers, Jarrod Bowen has been in the best form of his West Ham career, with 18 goal involvements this season. This is already an improvement on his 13 goal involvements in the entirety of last season.

This is the level of progress Fornals should be bringing to his game.

When he’s match fit the Spaniard starts most games in the current Hammers set-up. His passing ability, link-up play and aforementioned work rate play a key role in the way West Ham like to play. If he was scoring and assisting more frequently, this would ease some anxieties among the Hammers fans who think their European aspirations are over already.

Although the Hammers are four games unbeaten in all competitions. They’re not in the most desirable of situations, with the teams around them all benefiting with games in hand. Plus, it is a matter of weeks before the return of the Europa League for the East London side. Which means it is vital that West Ham start finding more goals from the likes of Fornals.

He told : ‘It has been intense and not many of the guys have played in European competitions before.’

‘We have done well in the two cups too. It’s many games but we have really good players and the whole squad is committed for everything.”