Midfielder is cream of the crop

The 2-0 victory at Cardiff City on Saturday was a welcome boost to everyone associated with the club.

Another welcome boost was Andy Carroll‘s long-awaited return from injury as he came off the bench to set up Mark Noble for the Hammers’ second in injury time.

But it was Noble himself who went on to steal Carroll’s limelight after the game. His performance in the middle of the park, with the captain’s armband wrapped proudly around his arm, was nothing short of superb.

The passion he showed was akin to what the club is all about and his performance was arguably his best in a claret and blue shirt since making his first-team debut in August 2004.

But his performance hasn’t gone unnoticed, however, with football statistics website WhoScored ranking him one of the best central midfielders in Europe over the weekend, putting him in Europe’s best XI.

That obviously meant he was in the Premier League best XI, too, along with goalkeeper Adrian, who was also superb at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a player come close to being the best at anything, so perhaps Noble’s performance against Cardiff and future leadership can inspire the rest of the team to start picking up more points.

Premier League Best XI of the Week

European Best XI of the Week