Angelo Ogbonna knows that West Ham must play a lot better than they did the last time they faced AFC Bournemouth if they are to to gain a positive result again Eddie Howe’s side on Saturday.
The Hammers have grown hugely from the team that lost 2-1 to the Cherries at the start of the season, having most recently defeated Arsenal at London Stadium, a game in which Declan Rice scored the winner and his first West Ham goal.
Keeping a clean-sheet against a very good, attacking, Arsenal side was a great result for Ogbonna and the rest of the back-line, but Callum Wilson could prove a completely different test on Saturday.
The Englishman has scored five goals in his last five appearances against West Ham but the No21 insists: “We can’t just focus on him, we have to focus on the whole team.”
“To win the game we need to play the same way we did against Arsenal and in other games as well, I hope this time against Bournemouth it won’t be the same result. Anything can happen because it’s football, it’s the Premier League.”
Ogbonna, who is back in the starting line-up playing alongside Issa Diop at the back, wants to make the most of his opportunity and hopes he can guide West Ham to three pointst on Saturday.
“Firstly we are expecting to do much better than we did at home, that’s our expectation. We have to stay focused in this game," he explained.
To win the game we need to play the same way we did against Arsenal and in other games as well
Angelo Ogbonna
While West Ham have enjoyed a great run of form, the Hammers have at times come undone against teams outside the top six, whilst raising their game against the Premier League’s high-flyers - defeating Arsenal and Manchester United this season.
But Ogbonna believes the team's mentality is now there to continue from where they left off against the Gunners.
He added: “Everything comes from the training ground, the way you train, the way you prepare. The mentality of the team is good and we want to step up.”
“In football anything can happen so you have to be ready to play your part. We have a really big squad, a lot of players and everyone has to be ready.”