Pablo Fornals is not the only former West Ham United player carrying his team’s La Liga hopes upon his shoulders right now.
The ‘fabulous’ Fornals could bring Champions League football back to the Estadio Benito Villamarin.
With six goals and four assists, this is his most productive campaign since the West Ham United fan favourite was wearing the yellow of Villarreal nearly a decade ago. Fornals is back in the Spanish national team set-up as well, with a World Cup spot the reward for the most consistent, creative campaign of his career.
What is your favourite Pablo Fornals memory at West Ham?
At the other end of the La Liga spectrum, meanwhile, sit Deportivo Alaves. While Real Betis are only five points adrift of Diego Simeone’s imploding Atletico Madrid in fourth, Alaves took a small step towards survival during a feisty 1-1 draw with Sevilla.
Thanks largely to the soaring, salmon-like leap of Toni Martinez.
Toni Martinez is keeping Alaves up as former West Ham United duo thrive in La Liga
A now-28-year-old centre-forward who spent three seasons in West Ham’s academy from 2016 to 2019, Martinez put every inch of his 6ft 2ins frame as he rose ‘majestically’ to power a header into the Sevilla net [Diario de Mallorca].
While far from prolific, Martinez tends to time his goals extremely well.
Martinez fired Alaves past Levante on the opening weekend back in August. He also scored the decider against Fornals’ Betis, and another during a 3-1 victory over Elche. Alaves have only won seven La Liga matches in 2025/26, and Martinez has scored in three of them.
West Ham can leapfrog the team currently in 17th with a home win over AFC Bournemouth on Saturday evening.
Nottingham Forest have appointed ex-Wolves boss Vitor Pereira as their fourth manager of the season. and Nuno Espirito Santo can ensure one of his growing throng of predecessors kicks off his Tricky Trees career in the bottom three.
A big weekend looms for Alaves and the Hammers
How do these appointments make you feel about the relegation battle? 👀
As for Alaves, they can move five points clear of the relegation spots should they beat Girona next Monday, and should other results go their way.
If they do – beat Girona, that is – do not be surprised to see Martinez’s fingertips all over it.
“We reset during the break and found our best version of ourselves in the second half [against Sevilla]. The team really faced the music. We wanted those 45 minutes to set the tone for Monday [vs Girona], already keeping the next match in our sights,” says Martinez, who has now scored 59 goals since leaving West Ham for Famalicao in 2019.
“We have to demand more of ourselves. We know how difficult it is to win in La Liga, especially when matches get this complicated. We need to learn how to manage those moments and dictate the tempo, because when we lose control, we know how much we suffer.
“Monday is another ‘final’ for us.”
A resurgent West Ham can say the same of Saturday, and that visit of Bournemouth.
Beat the Cherries, and the Hammers will not only leapfrog Nottingham Forest, they will move to within one win of a Tottenham Hotspur side who also made a change in the dugout.
Spurs made an ‘informal approach’ for Edin Terzic – an assistant coach to Slaven Bilic in East London – before hiring ex-Juventus boss Igor Tudor on an interim basis.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
