West Ham United striker Sebastien Haller was in imperious form against Southampton on Saturday.
On the chalkboard
The Hammers won 3-1 at the London Stadium to climb clear of the relegation zone ahead of the remainder of the weekend’s Premier League fixtures.
Goals from January signing Jarrod Bowen, Haller, and Michail Antonio proved decisive for David Moyes’ men but the Frenchman was more than just a goalscorer on Saturday.
Indeed, he won a staggering 14 aerial duels throughout the game, per WhoScored, as he repeatedly bullied the visitors in the air. The only player to come remotely close was centre-back Angelo Ogbonna with eight.
The 25-year-old also had three shots on goal, of which two were on target, and laid on two key passes throughout the game.
Not only that, but Haller also made three clearances and completed four dribbles.
The complete forward
This was a truly exceptional display from Haller, who finally looked the player the Hammers bought in the summer.
They spent a club-record £45m to bring him to east London from Eintracht Frankfurt but he has struggled at times, scoring just six league goals prior to Saturday’s encounter.
This weekend, though, he was a bully in the air, winning all but two of his duels, and he also added a scoring touch to proceedings.
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Much of that may come down to the support network in place around him; Antonio, Bowen, and the attacking midfielder Pablo Fornals ably assisted him.
However, if the Irons are to stay up, they need this to become a habit rather than an exception.
Haller has shown he has the ability that convinced the Irons to part with such a fee; he just needs to add some consistency.
If he manages it, relegation may not be an issue come May.
Meanwhile, West Ham fans have hailed this youngster!