Aaron Cresswell has brought something else to this season’s West Ham United side that was lacking in the season prior, and that’s a consistent attack up the left wing. Cresswell, who was named in the 2014 Championship Team of the Year, has immediately gelled with West Ham and has proven he is worth the five-year contract he signed with the Hammers in the summer.

His attacking ability was showcased this weekend when he finished from close range past Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot in the 56th minute. The miscued volley from Cheikhou Kouyaté acted as a perfect through-ball for the 24 year-old left back who had continued his run well into the 18-yard box, and put the ball in the back of the net without any sign of doubt that could be expected from a defender.

For Cresswell, the goal was one he really had looked forward towards: “It’s what I’ve dreamt of since I was a little boy, scoring a goal in the Premier League.” Goals could happen more frequently for Cresswell, who has a strong left foot. Vice-captain Mark Noble, who just made his 205th Premier League appearance for the Hammers, a club record, stated how Cresswell has been fantastic this season. “We did some shooting in training and were saying he should score a few more goals.” But beyond the goal, solid defending by Cresswell and company sealed the deal for West Ham over Newcastle, lifting them to 5th place on the league table going into West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday.

With injuries being a constant problem for West Ham, Aaron Cresswell can be seen as “Mr. Dependable”, as manager Sam Allardyce put it. Cresswell impressed in recent years at Ipswich Town, missing just four league games over the course of the last two seasons for the Championship club. West Ham will be hoping for more of the same durability from the left back, especially after such a short break between facing Newcastle United at home and taking on West Brom away on Tuesday.

“When I talk about injuries, the game record of Cresswell is better than anyone at the club,” Allardyce said. “He played three seasons for Ipswich at 40-plus games. He did the same for Tranmere. We only have 38 games in the Premier League. Mr Dependable, not only in terms of his performances but his reliability. I hope I’m not jinxing him.”

West Ham fans will hope Big Sam did not jinx Cresswell’s reliability too, especially after such a quality performance against Newcastle. “It was a good day all round,” Cresswell said after the Newcastle victory. “As a defender you can’t ask for much more than a clean sheet and a goal.”