The biggest indication yet that Konstantinos Mavropanos’ stock is at an all-time high was the sudden silence around the London Stadium when the defender was seen holding his right knee in agony.
There were distressed looks on his team-mates’ faces, while some Bournemouth players gestured for the 28-year-old centre-back to receive medical attention after he collided with goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic following a Jarrod Bowen corner. Mavropanos, who joined West Ham United for £17million ($21.6m) in 2023 from German side Stuttgart, was assisted off the field by the medical team but insisted on continuing.
He rejoined his team-mates and helped them keep their third clean sheet of the Premier League season. Mavropanos played through the pain barrier in this goalless draw and it was a reminder of his fighting spirit, which has proved valuable since the turn of the year.
In the surprise victory against Tottenham Hotspur, the 40-cap Greece international — alongside centre-back partner Jean-Clair Todibo — limited forward Randal Kolo Muani to 28 touches, the least of any outfield player. During the 1-1 home draw against Manchester United, attacking duo Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo had a combined total of two shots, and, against Bournemouth, Evanilson and Eli Junior Kroupi saw few attacking opportunities.
Konstantinos Mavropanos goes down injured against Bournemouth (Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Mavropanos, who deputised as captain in the FA Cup fourth-round win against Burton Albion, has been key to West Ham’s new defensive solidity. The addition of Axel Disasi has also aided their survival hopes. Disasi joined on loan on deadline day from Chelsea and made his debut for his new side in the 2-0 victory against Burnley. The duo have formed a solid defensive partnership, with two of the clean sheets sealed this season coming in games they have started (Bournemouth and Burnley).
“They’ve been solid and they are dominating games they’re playing,” goalkeeper Mads Hermansen told The Athletic. “It looks and feels natural to be part of as well. We train together every day, we talk football and how we can improve together. We’re trying to build on this and get better.
“Of course we want more but we need to look at the positives. We created a lot of good chances, kept a clean sheet and looked solid at the back. We know we can defend well and if we keep doing this then we have better chances to win. This fighting spirit is what we love to see. We do everything we can to defend the goal and we celebrate tackles like we celebrate goals.
“We have Liverpool next (on Saturday) and it’s always a good opportunity to show who we are as a team, to stand together and have some memorable games. We need to focus on one game at a time and get as many points as possible.”
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, who succeeded Graham Potter in late September, inherited a porous defence. It was not until the victory against Burnley, his 20th league game as head coach, that his side kept a clean sheet.
Nuno experimented with different systems, including the wing-back formation, a Max Kilman and Mavropanos partnership, Kilman and Todibo and the two-time France international and Mavropanos, but it is the pairing of Disasi and Mavropanos which has brought consistency. West Ham’s defending once caused consternation among the fanbase, but those concerns have slowly ebbed away.
There will be tougher tests in the coming weeks, particularly against Liverpool’s attacking quartet of Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike, Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz. On March 14, title chasers Manchester City come to town with Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland.
“It was a good game,” midfielder Mateus Fernandes told The Athletic. “We played very well but I think our performance in the second half was better. We need to play like this in more games.
“We have two days to forget about everything and try to relax and go again (for the) next game against Liverpool. It will be tough and every game is difficult but we are ready for anything. They have very good players but so do we and we want to build on the things we can control. We believe we can win there and I think against the big teams we play better as we are very strong on the transition.
“We’re very good defensively. (It’s) another clean sheet but now we need to score, because if we score we are comfortable to defend. I think Paco Jemez (the first-team coach) has brought a lot of the fighting spirit (you see in our performances). We are defending much better and trying to fight for the team. We are doing well but we need to score our chances. It’s good we’re creating opportunities but now we need to work on this part.”
Profligate finishing after the interval prevented West Ham from sealing their seventh league win of the season. Second-half substitute Callum Wilson, Bowen, Crysencio Summerville and Taty Castellanos all had chances to score. A smattering of boos at the final whistle highlighted the dissatisfaction — but there are positives for Nuno’s side as they enter a crucial period in their attempt to retain their top-flight status.
Mavropanos and Disasi’s solid partnership could not have come at a better time. Mavropanos was once harshly christened ‘Mavropanic’ by sections of the fanbase, due to his previous, error-prone playing style. But that, just like his previous bad form, is now a thing of the past.