West Ham United had a remarkable 2022-23 season as they won the UEFA Conference League. This win booked a place for the Hammers in the 2023-24 UEFA Europa League campaign. They aimed for success in the current campaign but received a setback when they lost their club captain, Declan Rice, to Arsenal in the summer.
David Moyes had to find a replacement for the player and make several signings to strengthen the team further. West Ham decided to sign former Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse, and this move was completed in August. Ward-Prowse has already played for the Hammers and is proving to be one of the best signings of the summer. Here are some of the stats that show his impact on the team.
Sudden impact
James Ward-Prowse made his West Ham United debut against Chelsea. The 28-year-old returned to the Premier League after getting relegated with Southampton at the end of last season. His debut was successful, as the player created two goals in the match. The Hammers won the match 3-1.
The 28-year-old midfielder scored his first goal for the club in his second match back in the Premier League. Ward-Prowse opened the scoring for his side, and the Hammers won 3-1 against the Seagulls. The English midfielder attempted four shots in this match, and three were on target. He is a set-piece specialist and is not afraid to test the goalkeeper from long range.
Defensive work
James Ward-Prowse is more of a box-to-box midfielder and gets involved in the defensive duties as well. In the current Premier League campaign, Ward-Prowse has won 58% of his duels. He is decent at recovering the ball and has 18 recoveries to his name in two games. 50% of these recoveries came inside the opposition’s half. Other than this, he has made eight interceptions.
What else can Ward-Prowse offer?
James Ward-Prowse had a decent season with a struggling Southampton side in 2022–23. He created 65 shot assists, and his teammates converted only four chances. The player is excellent at delivering set pieces into the penalty box. His new teammates will look to get on the end of these passes and convert these chances.
The Englishman netted nine goals in the 2022-23 campaign. Of these nine goals, two came from the penalty spot. Ward-Prowse attempted most of the shots from outside the penalty box. The player has a high conversion rate from inside the penalty box.
James Ward-Prowse has made an excellent start to the 2023-24 campaign. He is an excellent addition to the team and is set to play in Europe for the first time in his career. Moyes will be happy with the signing and look to make full use of his skills on the ball.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
