One of West Ham United’s two young French midfielders looked destined to start against Brentford on Monday’s FA Cup fifth-round. In the end, it was Mohamadou Kante who got the nod over Soungoutou Magassa.
And three weeks after Kante underwhelmed against Burton Albion on what was his first senior start for the Hammers, well, this was more like it.
This was the Mohamadou Kante the West Ham United fans have been waiting to see ever since the former Paris FC starlet started taking their academy by storm last summer.
Anonymous at Burton, occasionally awesome versus Brentford.
Kante has just given Nuno something to think about! 🇫🇷
What did you make of his performance?
And with Soungoutou Magassa already struggling to nail down a regular role in Nuno Espirito Santo’s XI, Kante’s emergence as a genuine first-team option – and likely fan favourite – is a development his fellow Frenchman could probably have done without.
Mohamadou Kante shines as West Ham United beat Brentford
Kante played the first 76 minutes as West Ham v Brentford went all the way to penalties. From his first action to his last, the 20-year-old played with a purpose, a confidence and a maturity far beyond his years.
Early on, Kante strode away from the Brentford midfield and lined up a shot from the edge of the box. In hindsight, it was a shot he should have taken on. Instead, he waited that little bit too long and followed up a gorgeous dummy with a pass out to the wing and the move broke down.
Still, Kante has been likened to a young Patrick Vieira on more than one occasion since arriving from across the Channel. The way he drew his marker in and then effortlessly glided away – moving with a grace which belies his rangy limbs – is certainly Vieira-esque.
Kante followed up that early burst with a lovely crossfield ball out to the right. Early in the second half, he broke the lines with a clever prod into the path of substitute Crysencio Summerville; the ignition which sparked a speedy counter-attack, and a shot from two-goal Jarrod Bowen.
Kante made a clever decoy run to draw the defenders away as Summerville looped a deflected effort over the bar in the 55th minute, and also coaxed a foul from Kristoffer Ajer with an inspired shimmy and dummy combo.
Kante’s intelligence and his awareness of the situation around him caught the eye even more so than his well-publicised physical qualities. Like a certain former Arsenal captain, he is brains and brawn combined.
Who was West Ham’s BEST PLAYER against Brentford?! 🤔
Kante earns applause from the London Stadium fans
The Paris-born whizzkid got the fans on their feet, applauding in unison and roaring their approval mere moments after Bowen converted a penalty won by Adama Traore in the 35th minute.
Leading the press, he forced Ajer into a mistake and won a corner out of nothing. This was not the first time Kante acted as the first line of defence, given the freedom to push on ahead of Mateus Fernandes and Tomas Soucek in a three-man midfield.
Furthermore, no one in a West Ham shirt completed more tackles, level with Fernandes on four apiece.
The ovation he received when exiting the fray, replaced by the far less impressive Magassa, was very well deserved.
Should he receive more minutes against Manchester City on Saturday, perhaps ahead of his compatriot, you will not find many Hammers fans complaining.
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