While West Ham United have only managed 11 wins and six draws from 30 Premier League fixtures this season, things could have been much worse for the Hammers, had they not singed Lukasz Fabianski last summer.
West Ham secured the signing of the Polish goalie from Swansea in a £7million deal last summer, and it’s safe to say the goalkeeper has been one of the best signings of the season.
That said, Arsenal legend Alan Smith believes the former Arsenal goalkeeper gives the likes of Manchester City’s Ederson, Liverpool’s Alisson, Manchester United’s David De Gea and Tottenham Hotspur’s Hugo Lloris a run for their money.
Standing at 6ft 3in, the goalkeeper has notched up 32 appearances in goal this season for the Hammers, and he has oozed quality in almost every game that he has played.
The 33-year-old also holds record for most saves in the Premier League this season with 117, whilst he has five clean sheets to his name as well
Writing in his Evening Standard column, Alan Smith said:
“He doesn’t tend to catch the eye, or stand out from the crowd. He doesn’t say much in the media to big himself up.
“Instead, Lukasz Fabianski goes about his work in an unfussy way, making important saves at important times, just like top goalkeepers are supposed to do.”
“Yet West Ham’s No1 hardly gets a mention when it comes to discussing the best keepers around. Ederson, Alisson, David De Gea, Hugo Lloris — such names habitually dominate the agenda.
“But when it comes to mistakes, I reckon Fabianski has made fewer than most over the last couple of years.”
Fabianski struggled to establish himself at Arsenal, but made a name for himself when he joined Swansea from the north London outfit.
With West Ham currently sitting in ninth spot in the Premier League table, Pellegrini would still be hoping for more brilliant performances from the Polish goalkeeper, as his side continue their quest to secure Europa League football for next season.
In today’s market, where acquiring a top class goalkeeper would usually demand a huge fee, the east London side should count themselves lucky for having such a quality man in goal capable of giving the big boys the run for their money.
