Talk about silencing your critics. West Ham United did not get the result they wanted, drawing 2-2 at home to Brighton and Hove Albion, but Ollie Scarles certainly served up the response he was hoping for.
The young left-back could hardly have come into Tuesday’s fixture at the London Stadium with greater pressure on his shoulders.
While El Hadji Malick Diouf’s Africa Cup of Nations-enforced absence has thrown him in at the deep end, Ollie Scarles was left exposed against Manchester City before the Hammers academy graduate left the field in tears a few days later.
Emotions got the better of a boyhood claret and blue fanatic following a mishit clearance which led immediately to Raul Jimenez’s 85th minute winner.
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This, though, was more like it.
Not so much from West Ham United – improved in attack but as calamitous as error in defence, Max Kilman at the scene of yet another crime – but from their reigning Young Player of the Year.
West Ham United fans hail Ollie Scarles after Brighton draw
In the end, despite pressure to make wholesale changes from the side which slipped up at home to Fulham, Nuno dropped only Crysencio Summerville for Callum Wilson.
This meant that, while there was admittedly a shortage of other options with Kyle Walker-Peters on right-back duty, Scarles was handed the chance to demonstrate his mettle after what was undoubtedly the most difficult spell of his still-embryonic career.
What followed, across the next 90-plus minutes, was a performance of real resilience and maturity.
If you had your attention fully fixed on events at Ally Pally, or if the Christmas box sets had you in a vice-like grip, you would have had no idea that Scarles was coming into this game under such scrutiny.
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
“I’m really proud of Ollie Scarles,” one fan wrote on X on a night in which the 20-year-old was the standout performer in a stumbling backline. “It was a difficult task to have coming from that mistake, three days ago, to provide a Man of the Match performance today.
“He made absolutely zero mistakes and he almost scored a brilliant goal.”
“Everyone who wrote off Scarles off of one game should apologise now,” another says. “I’m not saying he will start for us week-in week-out, but just give the lad a chance and some time. One mistake doesn’t make a career.”
“Well done Scarles! Great performance. That should shut the haters up.”
“Got to keep some clean sheets to stay up. Can’t see where they are coming from. Most composed defender was Scarles, everyone else panic stations.”
Scarles steps up on as Max Kilman and Alphonse Areola errors cost Nuno Espirito Santo
Kilman, typically, got himself in a trademark muddle when gifting Brighton an equaliser from the penalty spot.
And though Danny Welbeck would let Lucas Paqueta off a few minutes later – the veteran forward dispatched his first penalty with ease but clipped the bar with a second – Alphonse Areola would undo much of his excellent record work on the hour mark as Joel Veltman pounced on a poor punch.
Typical, isn’t it. West Ham’s baby-faced left-back steps up to the plate, and the goalkeeper who has been in such impressive form chucks in a clanger. The lord giveth, the lord with always taketh away.
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What a response from the youngster
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“Where are the Ollie Scarles haters now?,” another fan writes on social media, positives few and far between as the gap between 17th and 18th threatens to grow ever wider.
“Scarles, hats off. Great showing. Less said about that second half the better. Woeful.”
“Scarles, who was at fault last game for Fulham’s winner, put in a Man of the Match performance today.”
“Ollie Scarles was fantastic tonight. Showed character and quality after the Fulham game. Well done young man.”
“Ollie Scarles should be proud of his performance tonight. Composed, and really saved our bacon a few times. Much better from him.”
“Big shout out for Ollie Scarles tonight. Not sure he’s quite ready but, after Saturday, he showed great character to stand him in good stead for the future. I thought he was our best player in the end.
“Fair play to the kid, delighted for him.”
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