This story originally appeared on VICE Sports UK.
Five games in, the Premier League title race was looking as dead as an alleged pig at an alleged initiation ceremony at a very definite university. Manchester City had been faultless: five wins from as many matches with 11 goals scored and zero conceded. There was a bounce about the side, skipper Vincent Kompany seemed back to his best, and they’d hoovered up £150 million’s worth of new signings.
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One of those players was in action this weekend, with Kevin De Bruyne making his home debut for the club. But, despite finding the net, the perpetually miserable looking Belgian manchild is not our pick of the players for this weekend.
De Bruyne’s low right-footed drive past the West Ham ‘keeper Adrian would prove to be little more than a consolation for City. The Hammers — who are fast establishing a reputation as the Premier League’s best away side — pulled off a shock win in Saturday’s late game, thus giving the rest of the division hope. Hope that Pellegrini’s side may not be invincible this season; hope that, if a Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United can string together a decent run of results we may have a proper scrap for the title; and hope that chucking insane sums of money at players doesn’t always win you the league.
And the man who played the most crucial role in imbuing us with that hope? Step forward West Ham defender Winston Reid; step forward with those massive feet of yours and take a bloody great big bow.
In truth, this result was not entirely surprising: City’s mid-week defeat at home to Juventus gave us a clue that they were not entirely without weakness.
“But that’s Juventus,” I hear you cry. “They play in black and white and they’re Italian and they have Paul Pogba instead of Mark Noble,” you howl. Yes. Yes to all of those things. Your powers of observation deserve credit, though you could also point out that City are usually shit in Europe.
Though they could explain the result, it must have rocked the boat a little to have tasted defeat for the first time this term, and West Ham pounced upon that, like claret and blue jackals scenting blood and hurling themselves upon stricken prey. Victor Moses scored for what must be his hundredth different Premier League side after just six minutes, before Diafra Sakho doubled the Hammers’ lead on half an hour. Upset ahoy.
De Bruyne pulled one back for City in first-half injury time. It was a goal timed to perfection for City to emerge in the second half and batter West Ham into submission, earning a sixth league win on the bounce with the slight disappointment of conceding their first goals.
But in fact it preceded a heroic defensive display from the London side, with Reid looking particularly brilliant in repelling City (a big shout out also goes to Adrian, preferably in post-fight Rocky style).
And the stats speak to that, too: during the game Reid made 21 clearances, more than any other Premier League player this term. Meanwhile manager Slaven Bilic said of the performance: “It was like a couple of twins on the pitch, like two Reid brothers. He was always at the right place, he was a leader at the back today — he was really good.”
It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that Reid had a bloody great game, because he is undeniably bloody great. This greatness saw the Kiwi linked with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool (both of whom could certainly use him) before he signed a new contract with West Ham earlier this year. He’s also captain of his national side, the weirdly nicknamed All Whites.
And yet, to some degree, he seems to fly under the radar. Perhaps that’s because he’s a footballer from New Zealand. The island nation has a proud history of producing talent in other sports — notably boasting world champions in rugby and motorsport — but its football tradition is more modest.
And football people like stereotypes: Scottish managers will always be no-nonsense and instil discipline at a club; Italians will always look to nick a goal and defend a 1-0 lead to the death; Marouane Chamakh will always be a bit shit.
However, there is no such stereotype for New Zealand’s footballers. But Winston Reid, following the example of Ryan Nelsen, is forging a new reputation in the Premier League: New Zealand produces quality defenders who get the job done with minimal fuss. They’re hard as fuck and they play for mid-table sides. They’re the best player in their national team and thus carry the captain’s armband. They are, in short, the standard bearers for Kiwi football.
Reid showed all of these qualities on Saturday. And so, for giving the league hope and helping build a nation’s football reputation, he is our player of the week.
Previous Winners
- Steven Naismith (for services to nationwide happiness and unexpected heroes)
- James Morrison (for services to espionage and anonymity)
- David Silva (for services to attacking football and giving Chelsea what they deserve)
- Petr Cech (for services to narrative and entertainment)
