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Why Edson Alvarez's display in Mexico loss vs England should have made West Ham minds up
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- Why Edson Alvarez's display in Mexico loss vs England should have made West Ham minds up
West Ham United 's Edson Alvarez put in a strong performance despite his Mexico side falling to England in the World Cup round-of-16.
It was a historic night for England at the Azteca, as Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions roared their way past Mexico to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
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As for the co-hosts, it was a night that saw them taste only their third defeat from 90 competitive matches at their nation's iconic footballing home, losing 3-2.
West Ham's Alvarez started the game on the bench, but came on at half-time to replace the injured Cesar Montes to earn his 102nd cap for Mexico.
The 28-year-old midfielder will now make his way back to the London Stadium in the coming weeks, after spending the 2025-26 season out on loan with Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
He returns to E20 with his Hammers future firmly up in the air, but still contracted with the Irons until the summer of 2028,Nuno Espirito Santomay have a reclamation project in mind for him.
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Edson Alvarez was one of Mexico's best vs England
Alvarez's time in Turkey didn't go to plan at all, having made just 18 total appearances and seen his time there marred by his relationship with the Fenerbahce fans souring.
Signed in a £35million deal to help West Ham try and replace Declan Rice in the summer of 2023, the ex-Ajax star has struggled with injuries in recent years, and hasn't been able to hold down a starting role for the Hammers.
Now a Championship player, it remains to be seen whether Alvarez has any interest in playing his football in England's second tier.
If he is willing to stay and fight for his place under Nuno, however, then his display against England in the early hours of Monday should provide West Ham chiefs with all the evidence they need to get behind him next season.
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As per FotMob , Alvarez completed 96 per cent of his passes accurately in the second half against the Three Lions, whilst also taking two shots on goal against the 10-men.
He also played two passes into the final third, was accurate with two of his three long ball attempts, was dispossessed zero times and made three clearances as he tried to exploit the spaces.
Alvarez won two tackles, made one last man tackle, two recoveries and three headed clearances, as well as winning two of his three duels both on the ground and in the air as England tried to counter.
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The stat sheet doesn't lie; Alvarez's second-half performance against England was one he can be extremely proud of.
It may even help West Ham put his name in the shop window this summer, if indeed they are looking to move him on.
But, there is perhaps a crucial piece of context that needs to be highlighted when reviewing his display, and that is that Jarell Quansah 's 54th-minute red card meant he and Mexico were up against 10 men for the vast majority of the second half.
As a result of this, and particularly after Harry Kane scored England's third on the hour mark, Tuchel's side dropped deeper and deeper into a low block, desperately and stoically trying to preserve their lead.
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Because of this, England did surrender space in the midfield for the likes of Alvarez to operate in, which does help to explain why he completed 96 per cent of his passes, impressive as that is, as the Three Lions weren't particularly pressing high up the pitch.
So, you probably do have to take Alvarez's underlying numbers with a slight pinch of salt, but even then, his performance will still have been hugely encouraging for those watching on from a West Ham persuasion.
