I guess it should come as little surprise that Emerson’s poor form has coincided with that of Lucas Paquetá. The two men are like peas in a pod and have an incredible understanding on the pitch, which stems from their time together at Lyon.
Even though Emerson represents Italy, he was born and raised in Brazil, and his kinship with Paquetá is evident to all. One of the main reasons West Ham started last season so brightly was the combination of both players down the left-hand side, as then-manager David Moyes deployed Paquetá from a starting position on the wing.
At times, their understanding and interplay were remarkable, giving the impression that these two highly skilled footballers could play one-twos with their eyes shut.
However, a change in management has resulted in a shift in Paquetá’s position, and as a consequence, Emerson’s effectiveness has greatly diminished. Incredibly, the former Chelsea man has not even looked like West Ham’s best left-back this season. Every time Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been asked to fill that unfamiliar role, he has performed better.
Therefore, yesterday’s move by Julen Lopetegui to play Dinos Mavropanos at right-back could prove to be bad news for Emerson. Deploying chunky central defenders in full-back positions seems to be all the rage over the past couple of years, and Dinos acquitted himself very well.
More concerning for Emerson was the fact that Wan-Bissaka improved the left flank both defensively and in attack. The switch poses a most welcome dilemma for a Hammers head coach, and with a must-win game against Ipswich approaching, I would not be at all surprised to see a defensive line similar to the one that finished the Brentford game.