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West Ham star Marko Arnautovic has been compared to Manchester United legend Eric Cantona by BBC pundit Garth Crooks.

What's the word?

Shining light for the Hammers in a difficult season last term and impressing in the early stages of his second year at the London Stadium, Marko Arnautovic put the icing on the cake of a famous victory for West Ham on Saturday.

The Austrian international scored West Ham's third in a 3-1 victory over Manchester United to ease any concern of a late fightback from Jose Mourinho's side, helping to extend the Hammers' run to four games unbeaten across all competitions.

Arnautovic scored 11 goals in the Premier League last season and has already found the net four times in six appearances this term, in addition to one assist, and earned plenty of praise from BBC pundit Garth Crooks as he compared the Hammers man to Manchester United legend Eric Cantona.

What was said?

"There is something of Eric Cantona about Marko Arnautovic - but without the intimidating stare. The only other difference between these two mercurial characters is that one played for Manchester United and the other should have done. In the meantime, Arnautovic ripped United's "fragile" team to shreds."

Is he right?

It is easy to see the similarities between Cantona and Arnautovic, both of whom are physical forwards who are a nightmare for opposing defenders to face off against, but the biggest claim from Crooks is that Manchester United should have signed Arnautovic.

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While he is an effective forward, it is difficult to pinpoint where exactly Arnautovic would fit into Jose Mourinho's line-up at Old Trafford, especially as the Portuguese boss has failed to find a system that works for the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Alexis Sanchez.

Arnautovic is the perfect player for a club like West Ham as he's happy to get stuck into challenges and is a player who can take advantage of the opportunities he earns, although he is still not perhaps at the level required for a top-four chasing side.