Mohammed Kudus has had a torrid start to the the 2024-25 campaign, failing to find the back of the net in five Premier League games for West Ham, which has left Ghanaians and West Ham fans concerned.
Kudus has failed to find the back of the net in 11 games for club and country, with his last competitive strike coming on the final day of the 2023-24 season – scoring an acrobatic overhead-kick against Manchester City.
Despite scoring for the Hammers in pre-season against Wolves, five games into the season and the Ghanaian has found it difficult adapting to life under new boss Julen Lopetegui.
However, Kudus, who often is West Ham’s go-to man, has not been the only player looking to find his feet under the new regime – with the entire West Ham unit struggling to put across a decent run of performances and results.
West Ham have accumulated four points from five league games, six less than at this same juncture last term and have lost three times already, whereas losing once at this same point last season.
The managerial tweak from David Moyes, a pragmatic coach, to Julen Lopetegui sat well with West Ham fans, at least until the season began to pan out.
Lopetegui was expected to bring on board an attacking brand of football which suits West Ham and their attacking players, but has often relied on Moyes’ old methodologies, with a lack of expansiveness.
The Spanish manager, together with his summer recruits, including Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Füllkrug, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Max Kilman, Luis Guilherme, Guido Rodrigues, Mohamadou Kanté, Wes Foderingham, Jean-Clair Todibo and Carlos Soler, have failed to set the league alight.
Mainstays Jarrod Bowen, who is now the skipper of the side and scored 16 league goals last term, Mohammed Kudus, who bagged half of Bowen’s (8) tally and Tomáš Souček have so far flattered to deceive.
Although having Michail Antonio (34), Danny Ings (32) and last season’s Champions league finalist Niclas Füllkrug (31) as their focal points, the Hammers’ attack lacks the needed sharpeness and zip, with Summerville showcasing a glimpse of unreal pace in flashes against Chelsea last weekend.
Kudus and Bowen, who contributed immensely to West Ham’s league goals last season, are not the quickest of players but have unique skill sets in their repertoire.
Bowen has already hit the ground running in the league this term, scoring away at Palace in a routine 2-0 victory, while Kudus is yet to find the net.
However, with a trip to the Gtech Community Stadium on the cards for the Hammers on Saturday, the narrative is set to change.
*What do the numbers say about Kudus ?*
Kudus’ numbers helps paint a vivid picture of how close the Ghanaian is and why his upturn in form is inevitable.
The 24-year-old has come close to opening his goal-scoring account on several occasions, rattling a post against Manchester City on matchday three and seeing a belated offside flag just as he was wheeling away to celebrate pulling a goal back against Chelsea.
Such has been the Ghanaian’s ever-growing presence in the league, as he persistently probes for his season opener.
And against Brentford, a proposition he knows way too well, with a well-taken strike against them last season in the league – Kudus is set to come into his own.
Brentford became the second side Kudus struck against, after bagging his first league goal against Newcastle, and is most likely to get his first of the season against the Bees.
In the last two seasons, the former Ajax man has trod a similar path – scoring his first league goal of the 2022-23 season, at the time at Ajax, against Sc Cambuur after failing to find the back of the net in his first four outings.
Likewise, the Ghanaian marksman netted his maiden Premier League goal in the 2023-24 season after failing to score in his first four outings, making amends in his fifth game against Newcastle, just as he had done a season prior at Ajax.
Kudus finds himself treading on choppy waters, failing to score in his first five games, justifying his ‘slow start to the season’ tag.
When push comes go shove, Mohammed Kudus is certainly able to grab a game by the scruff of the neck and turn on the style.
Having started all five games under Lopetegui so far in the league, and lasting the full throttle of games for Ghana during September’s Internationals, it looked to have taken its toll on Kudus, as Lopetegui opted to give him a second half cameo appearance against Liverpool in their 5-1 Carabao hammering.
Although on an 11-game goal-scoring drought for club and country, he’s been impressive regardless; gliding past challenges and persistently getting fans at the edge of their seats.
Coming close with a goal being chalked off against Chelsea, hitting a post against Manchester City, and getting a much-needed rest in midweek are omens of his elusive goal forth coming.
And being presented with a proposition who have fallen prey to the Ghanaian already in the league last term, it’s safe to say Kudus will sting the Bees.
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Story by Andrews Sefa Bamfo|univers.ug.edu.gh
