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Sebastien Haller from West Ham opened his account for the Ivory Coast. (ADAM DAVY / POOL / AFP Photo via Getty Images)
West Ham linked once again to Chelsea leader
West Ham’s Sebastien Haller proved some skeptics wrong and was one of the goals again in his international debut for Côte d’Ivoire.
Sebastien Haller is off to an uneven start to the 2020/21 season. The forward has scored five goals in ten appearances in all competitions for West Ham; however, only one goal has come in the Premier League, a header against Wolves.
The 26-year-old struggled to displace the impressive Michail Antonio. The Englishman has proven to fit the style of David Moyes much more than Haller. But an injury to Antonio has given Haller a chance to impress.
Haller showed signs of improvement against Fulham and was unlucky not to have scored, hitting the crossbar early on. But now Haller has shown that he is still capable of hitting the back of the net. The forward made his debut for Côte d’Ivoire as a substitute in place of injured former Aston Villa forward Jonathan Kodjia.
The rookie turned out to be a dominant force among the elephants. Haller won a header for a rushing Ivorian attacker. The striker stayed with the running back, and once a low cross was hit, Haller hit the ball well and scored a fantastic header.
The goal could have been against an opponent deemed inferior to Premier League quality. But the play that led to the goal showed that when Haller receives quality service, he can score goals.
The goal turned out to be decisive, as it gave Ivory Coast a crucial victory over Madagascar in their AFCON group. Next for Ivory Coast is another match against Madagascar, this time it will be away and it will be played in Toamasina.
If David Moyes can get the best of Haller, then there will be no need for more front-line investments in January. The Hammers have been linked to moves with Olivier Giroud and Joshua King, but investing in a center-back would be preferable.
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