It is not exactly uncommon for players, such as two strikers who struggled badly at Everton and Wolves, to find form after drawing a line under their Premier League careers.
But there’s finding form, and then there’s what Fabio Silva is doing over in La Liga.
Whoever said Player of the Month award comes with a curse? Just days after he was named the best Under-23 player in Spanish football across the entirety of November, Fabio Silva ensured that he would head into December on the back of three goals in three successive La Liga matches.
But Las Palmas’ Saturday clash was no ordinary fixture.
Travelling to Catalonia to face a Barcelona team sitting top of the table, few would have given the Canary Islanders much of a chance. Particularly given that Las Palmas were sitting only two points above the relegation zone going into the weekend.
And as an equaliser from the in-form Raphinha around the hour mark put Barcelona level – the former Leeds United ace is in stunning nick under Hansi Flick – the home fans must have felt like a winner was on the way. And, indeed, it was. Just six minutes later in fact.
The surprising thing, though, was that it came via the boot of a man in yellow.
Fabio Silva of UD Las Palmas celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the LaLiga match between FC Barcelona and UD Las Palmas at Estadi Oli...
Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images
Wolves loanee Fabio Silva scores winner as Las Palmas beat Barcelona
Fabio Silva, played in by an exquisite pass in behind the Barca backline, coolly slotted underneath Inaki Pena to cast serious doubt on the Blaugrana’s title hopes while securing a famous win for unfancied Las Palmas.
Still technically a Wolves player given that he only moved to Spain on loan over the summer, Silva now has five goals in ten Las Palmas starts. That, by the way, is as many as the striker managed in 73 appearances at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Silva, fresh from earning his first ever Portugal cap this month, puts his career-best run of form down to the benefits of a fresh start in a league that fits him better than English football ever did.
“[La Liga] suits my characteristics and I wanted to play in it,” Silva told reporters. “And, when I arrived, I found good weather. All of that made it easier. I cannot complain. I am very happy, I really like the language and I feel very good.”
“[Las Palmas boss Diego] Martinez is a coach who knows what he wants and who doesn’t let you relax.”
Everton flop Sandro Ramirez a man revived in La Liga
Fabio Silva is not the only former Premier League misfit benefitting from the proverbial rocket up the backside treatment under Martinez.
Sandro Ramirez – Everton pulled off a truly disastrous signing in 2017, even by their standards – was the man who opened the scoring against Barcelona. The club where he started his career, no less.
Everton famously signed Sandro to help fill the void created by Romelu Lukaku’s switch to Manchester United. As downgrades go, then-Toffees boss Ronald Koeman pretty much dropped a £100 note before finding a 20p coin in his pocket.
Eight Premier League appearances, and no goals, was all Sandro Ramirez had to show from his time on Merseyside.
But taking his tally to four for the season – more than he managed in the entirety of 2023/24 – clearly Diego Martinez has quite a knack for putting misfiring forwards back on the right track.
How Sean Dyche could do with something similar, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Beto mustering three league goals between them heading into Everton’s trip to Manchester United on Sunday.
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