Before the season
Manuel Lanzini came into the 2021/22 season targeting regular first-team football after a stop-start 2020/21 in which his unforgettable last-minute equaliser at Tottenham Hotspur represented his only goal in 23 appearances for West Ham United.
The Argentinian was an unused substitute on 15 occasions in the Premier League as manager David Moyes preferred Pablo Fornals, Jarrod Bowen, Saïd Benrahma and loanee Jesse Lingard in the attacking midfield positions, with Declan Rice, Tomáš Souček and Mark Noble providing competition for the deeper central midfield roles.
How did 2021/22 go?
The 2021/22 season went well for Lanzini, who re-established himself in David Moyes’ starting XI, featuring 45 times in all competitions.
An increase in game-time resulted in a marked increase in attacking output as the No10 scored seven goals and registered four assists – five and three respectively in the Premier League.
While he was a regular starter in the Club’s run to the UEFA Europa League final throughout the campaign, starting nine of the Hammers’ 12 ties, Lanzini also forced his way into the starting XI in the Premier League as the season wore on.
2021/22 highlights
The midfielder’s outstanding performance came on New Year’s Day at Selhurst Park, where he scored a wonderful goal and netted a penalty to inspire West Ham to a 3-2 Premier League win over Crystal Palace.
The Argentinian also scored the winner to secure the Irons’ first victory at Manchester United in over 14 years in the EFL Cup third round back in September.
He also found the net with another eye-catching strike at Manchester City and scored from the penalty spot in the home win over Chelsea in the Premier League.
Standout stat
Lanzini has now scored six goals in ten appearances against Crystal Palace, more than against any other opponent.
Season by Numbers
Appearances: 45 (30 Premier League, 10 UEFA Europa League, 3 EFL Cup, 2 FA Cup)
Minutes played: 2,854
Goals: 7 (5 Premier League, 1 EFL Cup, 1 FA Cup)
Assists: 4 (3 Premier League, 1 UEFA Europa League)
Next up in 2022/23?
Capped five times by Argentina, Lanzini will be hoping his international career is not over and that a strong start to the 2022/23 campaign could push him into former Hammer Lionel Scaloni’s thoughts ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals.
Previously, Lanzini was named in Argentina’s 23-man squad for the 2018 finals in Russia, only to suffer a serious knee injury and miss out. At 29, there is still a chance to banish that memory and make his mark at a major tournament.
