Crysencio Summerville scored again and Jarrod Bowen produced his most threatening Premier League performance for a while. Yet, both players came a distant second and third in our West Ham United Man of the Match poll.
Bowen earned only 7 per cent of the vote.
And although former Hammer and one-time Black Cat Jermain Defoe labelled Summerville his stand-out following a result which lifts the Londoners to within two points of Nottingham Forest, the winger actually finished a staggering 265 votes behind first-place in our Hammers News poll.
Safety is in sight 😍 Who was your MOTM?!
At the time of writing, you voted Mateus Fernandes as the most impressive performer in a West Ham United jersey.
And it says a lot about the Portugal Under-21 captain that, on an afternoon when so many of Nuno Espirto Santo’s men played at their peak – Fernandes still hogged 71 per cent of the vote at the time of writing.
Mateus Fernandes named West Ham United’s Man of the Match by Hammers News readers
A knuckleball pass swazzed out to the wing one minute, a couple of ‘keepie ups’ the next; Fernandes not only produced his most complete performance in a West Ham shirt, he played with such a swagger, such effortless authority, that you could imagine him balancing a cup of scalding-hot London Stadium coffee without spilling a single drop.
His thumping long-range strike will stick in the memory the longest – Jose Fonte was among those to praise Fernandes at full-time – but that was actually the zesty maraschino cherry on top of a luxurious, Michelin star meal.
How much money do you think Mateus Fernandes is worth now?! 😍
An absolute baller
How much should the Hammers demand for Fernandes next summer?
Is Mateus Fernandes a £100 million player in waiting? If Brighton and Nottingham Forest are planning to demand such fees for Carlos Baleba and Elliott Anderson, then surely Fernandes must now be entering the conversation.
While maybe not as established as Baleba or Anderson, he is rapidly developing into one of those Swiss Army Knife midfielders. Not only a ‘Jack of All Trades’, but a master of most.
Crysencio Summerville steps up in Lucas Paqueta’s absence
Fernandes appears to have relished the extra responsibility placed on him by Lucas Paqueta’s absence, but he is not the only one.
Summerville too has taken the burden on his shoulders and carried it with great pride. And while he may lack Paqueta’s silken qualities, Jarrod Bowen summed up Pablo Felipe’s impact nicely when highlighting the fierce work ethic he brings in the number ten spot.
Paqueta is desperate to re-join Flamengo before the window closes. And, such has been the level of performance in his absence, we have to ask; Would West Ham be just two points from safety if Paqueta had started against Tottenham and Sunderland?
How many points would West Ham have taken from their last two games if Lucas Paqueta had been playing? 🤔
Maybe I’m harsh, but I just don’t think he suits this team anymore…
Pablo Felipe’s wait for a maiden Premier League goal goes on
The aforementioned £18 million January signing is still awaiting his first goal in a Hammers jersey.
Pablo’s conversion rate put Erling Haaland’s to shame during the first half of the campaign. But, as the former Gil Vicente ace fired an early chance high over the Sunderland crossbar, well, his finish wasn’t exactly Erling-esque.
Yet, do not underestimate the impact he has made both in and out of possession.
“We’ve kind of gone to a more of an old-school traditional 4-4-2 in the last couple of weeks with the two new strikers up front [Pablo and Taty Castellanos],” said Bowen on Saturday evening. “I think they’ve worked really well.
“I think their work without the ball especially has been really good. It’s given us a better kind of platform. We’re not as open and a little bit more compact.”
How would you rate Pablo’s start? What do you want to see him improve upon, and what has stood out for you?
Give us your honest grading on Pablo Felipe 👇
I like what I see but I’m not sure it has fully clicked just yet…
Nottingham Forest in sight for Nuno Espirito Santo
One of the more forgotten aspects of that ‘Great Escape’ of 2007 is how far clear West Ham actually finished. Well, place-wise, if not points-wise.
Alan Curbishley and Carlos Tevez dragged the Hammers up to 15th place in the end, albeit still only three points above Sheffield United in 18th. Right now, though, we are guessing you would bite our hands clean off the bone if we offered you 17th?
A position which now feels very, very achievable.
Should Nottingham Forest lose to Brentford in today’s 2pm kick-off, West Ham could climb out of the bottom three next weekend…
Comment on where you now think West Ham will finish in the Premier League 👇
We are staying up 🎵
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
