Mateus Fernandes was one of the standout performers for West Ham United during their win over Tottenham, but he was full of praise for new signing Pablo Felipe.
Pablo started up front alongside fellow new boy Taty Castellanos as West Ham beat Tottenham 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday.
Callum Wilson at the death!
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While it was Callum Wilson who won the game for his side, the performance West Ham put in during the first half was very impressive.
Fernandes was crucial to that. West Ham have not made many smart recruitment decisions in recent seasons but the former Southampton midfielder looks a shrewd addition.
The club will hope that both Pablo and Castellanos follow suit. Fernandes was certainly impressed with the former.
Mateus Fernandes praises Pablo Felipe at West Ham
The two new forwards caused Spurs plenty of problems in the first half. They linked up well and showed energy, something that has been profoundly lacking at West Ham for most of the season.
Though neither got on the scoresheet, they were both involved in the build-up to Crysencio Summerville’s opener in north London.
The tireless work Fernandes got through in central midfield alongside Tomas Soucek also deserves a mention.
An absolute BALLER 😍 – Rate how good he was against Spurs!
Fernandes was asked about Pablo’s performance after the game by West Ham’s official YouTube channel.
He said: “He’s still 21 years old, still young. I played in the Portuguese league and they’re so different from England to Portugal.
“The intensity, the defenders, every team has good players. So, he’s learning about the football, the pockets where he needs to be. I think he did a very good job, him and Taty, they helped the team, they helped the manager, the club.”
Pablo Felipe’s stats for West Ham against Tottenham
It was an impressive performance from the former Gil Vicente forward, particularly in the early stages of his Premier League career.
As per FotMob data, the 22-year-old created one chance in his 79 minutes on the pitch, while also having a shot.
Defensively, he made two tackles and an interception too.
It was perhaps not the most eye-catching of displays but Pablo has hit the ground running. West Ham will need more from him but he’s made a promising start to life in a new league.
Pablo has impressed for West Ham and this was another step in the right direction.
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