00:00Axel De Zassi might send Spurs down. I'm not joking. Was this some incredible 4D chess from
00:06Chelsea? The French centre-back has revolutionised West Ham's defence. In their 26 games this season
00:11before he joined in January, the Hammers had kept one, one clean sheet. In the four games he's
00:18played, they've kept three. Did Chelsea let the wrong centre-back go? Is De Zassi about to do a
00:22Trevor Chalabert and break back into the first team after being banished to the bomb squad and
00:26sent on loan? Or is the gap between Chelsea and West Ham just so big that Chelsea's worst players
00:31are West Ham's best players? Let me take you back to 16-17. Palace are in a relegation dogfight.
00:36Mamadou Sacco, a French centre-back exiled by a Big 6 team, joined Palace on loan in January. He only
00:42plays eight games for them that season. They win five of them and he's nominated for their player
00:47of the season. Player of the season. He played eight games. Eight. Axel De Zassi is running it
00:53back nine years later. Everyone knew West Ham needed huge reinforcements at the back if they
00:57wanted to stay up and many, including their own fans, laughed slash despaired when they turned to
01:03De Zassi. But credit where it's due, the move has transformed their defence. Any bomb squad alumnus
01:08succeeding elsewhere is a good egg in my book. Well done, Axel.
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