--- title: "Fans slate Anwar El Ghazi’s performance against West Ham" canonical: "https://readastonvilla.com/2021/02/04/fans-slate-anwar-el-ghazi-performance-west-ham/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" author: "Crippy Cooke" section: "Aston Villa News" published: "2021-02-04T12:00:00Z" modified: "2021-02-04T12:00:00Z" --- # Fans slate Anwar El Ghazi’s performance against West Ham [Anwar El Ghazi](https://readastonvilla.com/2020/12/21/villa-fans-hail-anwar-el-ghazi-performance-west-brom/) was arguably Aston Villa’s worst performer in Wednesday’s [3-1 defeat to West Ham United](https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2021/february/Aston-Villa-1-3-West-Ham-United/). The 25-year-old was [given a rare start](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/anwar-el-ghazi/leistungsdaten/spieler/183720) ahead of Bertrand Traore but struggled to make an impact in a less familiar right-sided role and was [hooked at half-time](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3429703). No player ranked lower with [Birmingham Live](https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-player-ratings-west-19764006) than El Ghazi. He was wasteful with his passes, didn’t fashion any opportunities for his teammates, failed to register a shot, lost the ball multiple times due to a poor touch and was dispossessed multiple times too. Against West Ham, the Netherlands international had 22 touches, completed only seven of his 14 passes (50%), failed to create a chance, gave away one foul and was tackled twice. He failed to record a shot or a cross, make an interception or win a tackle on the night \[[Sofascore](https://www.sofascore.com/aston-villa-west-ham-united/MP)\] Although he put in a miserable performance on Wednesday, Smith might consider starting El Ghazi against Arsenal on Saturday. The 25-year-old is [more accustomed to](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/anwar-el-ghazi/leistungsdaten/spieler/183720) Jack Grealish’s position than Traore’s right-sided role, so he might get the nod on the left. Grealish could start in a central playmaker role and Traore may return to the right wing. Nevertheless, these Villa fans took to Twitter to slate El Ghazi over his ineffective display last night: https://twitter.com/amc89avfc/status/1357263139918794752?s=20 > So many players off the pace tonight, el ghazi was woeful dougie sloppy grealish marked out the game , Watkins lost two balls where he shouldn’t have, cost two goals and to cap it off I think emi should have saved the third!!!!! It’s how you you bounce back that matters [#avfc](https://twitter.com/hashtag/avfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — paul mclafferty (@PaulTheVillan) [February 3, 2021](https://twitter.com/PaulTheVillan/status/1357109127856746499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) https://twitter.com/TommyF\_AVFC/status/1357225532585369601?s=20 > Also Jack Grealish was not on his game today 1 bad game in 20 aint bad but if your blaming Mcginn and Barkley for poor performance Jack and El Ghazi where equally as bad > > — David Bryn Jones (@DBrynJones) [February 4, 2021](https://twitter.com/DBrynJones/status/1357241821777207299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > watkins was our best player yesterday but we was shocking \ > el ghazi & barkley were miles off it \ > dont no why smith went with 2 no8 should of kept Mcginn as a 6 with dougie looked so good there recently lingard just sat between the lines all game caused havoc emi poor 2 [#avfc](https://twitter.com/hashtag/avfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Adam M (@adam1988avfc) [February 4, 2021](https://twitter.com/adam1988avfc/status/1357250247051902978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > Not good enough at all today. Barkley and El Ghazi were very poor. Mcginn wasn't as lively as usual. I think Watkins was probably our MOTM. Fair play to West Ham though, shut us out all game. We need a big change to the lineup against Arsenal.[#AVFC](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AVFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [#AVLWHU](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AVLWHU?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [#WHUFC](https://twitter.com/hashtag/WHUFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [https://t.co/e2dWRS79Qq](https://t.co/e2dWRS79Qq) > > — iLennox01 (@iLennox01) [February 3, 2021](https://twitter.com/iLennox01/status/1357089024746414083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)