00:01West Ham United defender Axel de Sassi has been labelled a machine by team-mate El Hadji Manik-Jouf
00:08after an impressive start to life in East London, with the left-back admitting it was crazy the centre-back
00:13was not playing regularly at Chelsea.
00:17De Sassi joined Chelsea from AS Monaco in a £38m deal in 2023, arriving with high expectations
00:23after establishing himself as one of Ligue 1's most reliable defenders.
00:28However, his time at Stamford Bridge proved inconsistent after a mixed first season.
00:32The French international was loaned to Aston Villa during the 2024-25 campaign, before falling out of their favour on
00:40his return.
00:41Having failed to make a single appearance during the first half of the current season,
00:45de Sassi moved to West Ham on loan last month and has quickly rediscovered his form.
00:50The defender has played a key role at the heart of Nuno Espirito Santo's back line,
00:54helping the Hammers lose just once in his opening matches for the club.
01:00Jouf, who's lined up alongside de Sassi in recent games, believes the defender's impact has been immediate.
01:06He's not a small player, Jouf said.
01:08He's played for Chelsea, so he knows the league.
01:11It was crazy he stayed there for so long and didn't play.
01:15But when he comes here, he shows he's a machine and really happy for him.
01:20For now, de Sassi's resurgence has provided a timely boost to West Ham
01:24as they look to build momentum in both the league and in the FA Cup.
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