West Ham take on Gent in the second leg of their tense Europa Conference league quarter-final, just four days after their brilliant comeback against title-chasing Arsenal at the London Stadium.
When the Hammers conceded two goals in the opening ten minutes against the Gunners, it seemed the occasion could have been a brutal repeat of the embarrassing 5-1 defeat they suffered to Newcastle in their previous Premier League home game.
If David Moyes wants to ensure progression into a European semi-final for a consecutive season, then he must avoid the temptation to rest Said Benrahma, who has been one of the Irons’ shining lights in a troublesome and uneasy campaign.
Why should Benrahma start vs Gent?
Alongside Jarrod Bowen, the 27-year-old has registered the joint-most Premier League goals (5) and assists (3) this season for the Hammers to establish himself as one of Moyes’ most important and trusted figures within this struggling team.
His significance was stirringly conveyed for his role in the recent London derby against Arsenal. The former Brentford man recorded the highest rating of any West Ham player (7.7) in that showdown and netted the first goal to halve the deficit and kickstart a rousing second-half renaissance.
The £55k-per-week man also contributed two key passes, created one big chance, won five ground duels, and completed 75% of his passes, as per Sofascore.
It was an effervescent, busy, and tricky display from the forward, who nearly produced the match-winning assist when he out-muscled Rob Holding and delivered a measured cross to Michail Antonio, whose header agonisingly clipped the bar.
Chelsea legend Joe Cole has previously lauded the winger for his attacking verve and dazzling skill, and he told BT Sport (via Read West Ham) that Benrahma can be "unplayable."
Furthermore, the £19m-rated man has created the most chances in the West Ham squad in all competitions (51) this season at a rate of 1.31 per 90, as per BBC Sport.
In the first leg against Gent, Benrahma began proceedings on the bench, and the East London outfit was completely dominated and failed to create many opportunities. The Belgian side had 54% possession and 20 shots, in comparison to West Ham’s four.
Benrahma was eventually introduced on the hour mark for Manuel Lanzini, but Moyes cannot afford to follow a similar trend in this game. His side will need to stamp their authority and set the agenda with the latter arguably in need of being dropped this time around.
To unleash Benrahma is a necessity, who could be the match-winning catalyst.