Former West Ham midfielder Trevor Sinclair has expressed his delight at Issa Diop's return to form during the side's 3-2 win over Leicester on Sunday.

What did Sinclair say?

After the Hammers hung on to secure a vital three points, which saw them move back into the top four, Sinclair took to Twitter to praise Diop.

He tweeted: "Delighted to watch Issa turned a corner today @IssaDiop97. Well done young man."

Trevor Sinclair on Issa Diop

How did Diop fare in the game?

Diop produced an eye-catching performance in defence. As per WhoScored, the French defender made five clearances - more than any other player on the pitch.

He also blocked two shots on goal - a number only matched by Fabian Balbuena - and made two interceptions. Only Tomas Soucek (3) made more for David Moyes' side.

Has Diop lived up to his billing?

Sinclair referred to how Diop had "turned a corner", suggesting that the 24-year-old's season has been far from plain sailing. He has a point.

Back in 2018, Jose Mourinho labelled Diop "a monster" after a particularly impressive display against Manchester United. The Red Devils were then linked with a move for Diop in the summer of 2019, with West Ham valuing the centre-back at £60m at the time.

However, Diop has endured a difficult campaign in 2020/21. He started just three of the side's first 23 league matches, and appeared to have fallen down the pecking order.

As a result, his market valuation has dropped significantly. He is currently worth £16.2m according to Transfermarkt, having been priced by them at more than double that, £32.5m, back in December 2019.

The promising defender has played eight full games on the trot since mid-February, though, indicating that he is starting to find his feet once more and re-establish himself in the starting XI.

Does he have a crucial role to play to keep West Ham in the top four?

Sunday's win moved West Ham back into the Champions League places, but they do have Chelsea and Liverpool breathing down their necks. Therefore, Moyes' team cannot afford to ease up in the final run-in.

Diop may be enjoying his best period of the season so far, but West Ham are conceding a high number of goals at the moment - they have now shipped seven in their last three matches.

If they are to finish inside the top four, it seems that the side will have to tighten up at the back in the closing weeks of the campaign, rather than relying on their attack to outscore the opposition every time.

This suggests that Diop, along with the other members of the back four, will need to be at the top of their games if the club are to have a chance of booking their spot in Europe's elite competition.