ZAB: THE DAY THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Stadium fracas was a nightmare but we have learned from it says West Ham star
NINE months ago they were in a mess.
The embers of the Battle of the London Stadium were still smouldering after West Ham’s 4-2 defeat by Burnley.
Feelings had run high with four separate pitch invasions, children forced to cower in fear, coins hurled at owners David Gold and David Sullivan in the directors’ box and police investigating two allegations of assault.
Then managed by David Moyes, the 16th-placed Hammers were looking nervously over their shoulders with just three points separating them from the drop zone.
Today the gap is four points, but under Manuel Pellegrini and with summer investment from the owners of around £100million, the outlook is so much brighter.
So far this season Chelsea and Manchester United have both dropped points at the London Stadium and although Manchester City are still hot favourites to win today, West Ham are in far better shape to compete.
“That Burnley game was probably one of the hardest days for me as a football player.” Pablo Zabaleta told Mirror Sport.
“In my 11 years of being here I’d never been involved in a game in England when I’d seen fans coming on to the pitch. Never.
“It wasn’t good for the club, for the players, for everyone. But the good thing is we have learned from that experience and you can see now that the owners really get it.
“They have shown great support in the summer by bringing in the new manager, new players, spending big because they want to be listening to people. They want to take this club forward.
“When we play against the top teams, home or away, we don’t need to change the way we play. We have seen this against Manchester United. We’ve seen it against
Chelsea. Against the top sides we have kept playing in the same way. This is the manager’s philosophy.
“So it’s not because City are the champions of England or the best team in England that we need to be afraid. We need to respect them, but if we want to achieve or be a top club we need to keep playing in the same way.”
West Ham go into the contest unbeaten in three league games. Striker Andy Carroll is fit again and could come into contention along with Jack Wilshere, who is back in training.
Zabaleta is a big part of The Players’ Project, a West Ham scheme to educate people on areas from health and fitness to social issues in the local community.
“For the players it’s a huge moment to spend some time with local people,” said the Argentina star. “To talk to them. To listen to their experiences and to see how important it is do activities.
“As a sportsman you can always inspire people and at least if they can do it twice or three times a week, eat healthily to reduce any risk, then it is good.”
Zabalata will be hoping to stop his old City team-mate Sergio Aguero from adding to the eight goals which make him the Premier League’s leading scorer so far this season.
“He is one of the best strikers in Premier League history without a doubt,” he said. “One hundred and fifty goals so far and he cannot stop scoring.
“He looks fit, he looks sharp and has signed another year. I know he has ambitions to keep scoring goals.
“He is not too far from Thierry Henry and some of them at the top of the all-time list. Alan Shearer is on 260 so I’m not so sure about that, but I am very happy for Sergio.
“He is playing with great players around him as well and they always keep playing attacking football so he will score more goals.”
‘I’d never been involved in a game over here when fans came on to the pitch’