It’s the sixth month of the NextGoalWinner Player of the Month award, and this one may have been the most surprising of the bunch, as the award goes on loan from Manchester to London and the London Stadium, similarly to the man who has won it… Jesse Lingard.

The loanee Hammer has smashed his 5 performances since joining in late January and has wowed with his performances. Despite not playing a single minute of Premier League football this season until his move, the 5 appearances he has made since joining West Ham has been a major contributing factor that has now led West Ham to see Champions League football as a genuine possibility.

So, as always, let us hopefully explain well enough why we have chosen Jesse as this months winner, and let us know over on Twitter (@NextGoalWinBlog) if you agree or disagree and any debate you have over our choice.

The Stats

Despite only playing a mere 178 minutes of football since the start of the season, Lingard has hit the ground running as he played in all 5 league games for the London side, and only missed the FA Cup clash due to being cup-tied against his former club. He has been an ever-present in the side and a major attacking threat, scoring 3 goals and bagging an assist, meaning he was involved in 4 of his sides 9 goals this calendar month.

Although claiming just 1 player of the match award, his performances were sublime as he helped his side pick up 10 points from a possible 15 and keep them in real contention for top 4. Averaging a rating of 7.5/10 across the whole month, he edged the likes of Fernandes, Gündoğan, Barnes and Cancelo. While perhaps not being as deadly in-front of goal than others, it’s the massive influence that Jesse has had in such a short space of time that wins him this months honour.

Match By Match

February 3rd: Aston Villa 1-3 West Ham United – In his debut match for the Hammers, Lingard was on fire, and danced his way to the player of the match award as a result of his 2 second half goals which secured the 3 points. With a 8.98/10 rating, he was the key man as he had 6 shots (3 on target), 68 touches and maintained a 91.1% pass accuracy. A genuinely sublime run out that had many touting Lingard as the top signing of the January window.

February 6th: Fulham 0-0 West Ham United – Unfortunately, in the follow up 3 days later, the game was a more drab affair, with neither side finding the back of the net. Although he played 90 minutes, this was Lingard’s most mediocre match of the month as he failed to make a single shot and only managed 44 touches. Despite the average game, it gave him more minutes under his belt and still kept West Ham unbeaten this month.

February 15th: West Ham United 3-0 Sheffield United – Things picked up quickly again in the league, and despite losing out in the FA Cup, Lingard was again involved as they picked up another W in a strong victory over relegation strugglers Sheffield United. Lingard wasn’t involved directly in the goals, however he could have easily been after winning a penalty, although he was generous enough to allow Rice to slot it away instead. Despite this, he was still involved heavily, with an impressive 5 shots (4 on target), earning him a 7.72/10 rating.

February 21st: West Ham United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur – In another great result for West Ham this season, they beat Mourinho’s Spurs side, and although they couldn’t replicate the drama of the reverse fixture earlier in the season, this one will have pleased the home supporters much more as they took all 3 points. It was Lingard who made the difference as his goal, West Hams second gave them a lead that Spurs couldn’t come back against. With the result, another top performance and the decisive goal, Lingard has truly won the hearts of West Ham fans.

February 27th: Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United – In the final match of the month, it was a valiant performance from West Ham, and although City had too much quality for them to overcome, the shift put in from the whole side was truly commendable. Lingard’s assist for Antonio did bring the London side back into the game at 1-1, however Stones bagged the winner midway through the second half. Lingard was again involved heavily, taking 4 shots (1 on target) and making 2 key passes. Although they lost their unbeaten league streak, the performance’s from West Ham and in particular from Lingard have made positive headlines this month.