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West Ham United right-back Ryan Fredericks was arguably his side’s man of the match in the 1-0 defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, and he may have made manager Manuel Pellegrini’s life a lot simpler as a result.
On the chalkboard
Some patchy form and an ankle injury have restricted summer addition Fredericks to just eight Premier League appearances this term, although he has started three of their previous four top-flight fixtures.
The last of those came against the champions in midweek where the speedy 26-year-old impressed against Leroy Sane, and also managed to keep his discipline against one of the toughest opponents going having picked up a first-half booking.
The former Fulham man currently faces a battle with Pablo Zabaleta for the right-back spot at the London Stadium, but he may well have laid down a huge marker with his latest display after making two tackles, two interceptions and eight clearances.
Easy decision for Pellegrini
The experienced Chilean has surely been debating in his mind who is the best option for the Irons, but his mind should have been officially made up by Fredericks’ most recent showing.
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If there were any question marks over the defensive side of his game previously, those would have been swept away under the carpet on Wednesday, while he also managed to get forward and produce two crosses on a difficult night attacking wise.
Pellegrini needs to start looking to the future to take the east London outfit to where they want to be, and while Zabaleta is a reliable and experienced performer, he isn’t a long-term option for the Hammers like his 26-year-old teammate.
If the former City boss was in any doubt previously he shouldn’t be any longer, and Fredericks should be in the team to face Newcastle United on Saturday.