There is growing excitement at West Ham after Mateus Fernandes produced a performance that underlined the belief the club has finally found their Declan Rice heir.
Meanwhile, Lucas Paqueta is heading back to London after appearing to come through his emotional Brazil return unscathed.
There was a lot more to West Ham’s performance in the 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest last time out than a first three points of the season.
The display got the blood pumping for Hammers fans, perhaps for the first time in 20 months.
There were so many positives from the match.
Five key Hammers stars come through unscathed for Spurs
From the much-needed defensive solidity to Crysencio Summerville’s game-changing return, Paqueta’s excellent performance – and celebration – after pledging his future to the club and the debut of Mateus Fernandes.
Graham Potter chased the 21-year-old Portuguese star all summer and it was instantly clear why.
Fernandes admitted Portugal first team boss Roberto Martinez told him to move to the Premier League because he wants him in his squad for the World Cup next summer.
West Ham paid Southampton £42m for the midfielder and it already looks cheap.
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Hammers fans were all saying the same thing after Fernandes’ debut – they could see flashes of Declan Rice about his game.
West Ham star Mateus Fernandes in action for Portugal Under 21s
Photo by Sergio Mendes/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Better still, Fernandes might just be quicker than Rice and is most definitely better in an attacking sense.
This is the kind of signing the Hammers needed to make when they first sold Rice to Arsenal for £105m two years ago.
Instead West Ham fumbled most of that money with short-sighted, poorly researched signings, leaving them with an ageing, immobile collection of central midfielders.
That has changed now, though.
There is genuine West Ham excitement as Fernandes stakes his Rice claim and Paqueta heads home.
The first international break of the season is officially out of the way.
For Potter the good news is that of the five key West Ham stars involved in matches overnight, all seem to have come through unscathed.
West Ham excitement as Fernandes stakes Rice claim
The Hammers boss would have had a restless night hoping for a clean bill of health.
Especially after West Ham were hit by a new Niclas Fullkrug blow, when he was struck down by a calf issue with Germany, returning to London without playing a minute for Julian Nagelsmann’s side.
Fullkrug looks a doubt for the big game against Spurs on Saturday.
But Fernandes and Paqueta will be there for West Ham’s biggest match of the season so far.
Potter knows his side must show the Forest result and performance was not a one-off when Tottenham come to the London Stadium.
And there is serious excitement among the Hammers fanbase as footage of Fernandes’ performance in a 2-0 Under 21 Euros qualifier win over Scotland catches the eye.
A video montage of the West Ham new boy’s contribution has Hammers fans buzzing with anticipation.
Mateus Fernandes during Nottingham Forest v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Standout Fernandes blows minds with Rice-esque display
Fernandes absolutely dominates the game as the standout player.
The best thing about the footage, which you can watch below, is that the comparisons to Rice are no joke.
Fernandes is absolutely everywhere on the pitch.
Winning the ball on the edge of his own box, driving forward, taking on multiple opponents with his speed and skill or smashing into people, Fernandes has it all.
He looks every inch a suitable Rice heir for West Ham after two years of searching.
In fact his potential may just be even greater than Rice as a true box-to-box midfielder.
Fernandes admitted his pride at being made one of Under 21s’ leadership group.
So he will be disappointed that his over-zealous desire to win the ball at times cost him as he was sent off with 20 minutes to go.
West Ham fans can rest assured that does not mean he misses any games for them.
The suspension for the dismissal only applies to international football.
In-form Paqueta heads home unharmed after Brazil defeat
As well as finding their Rice heir, West Ham will also have in-form Paqueta back in the midfield alongside him on Saturday.
Paqueta scored in Brazil’s 3-0 win over Chile to announce his return to the national team in style following his spot-fixing case ordeal.
There was a bump back down to earth, though, as Brazil lost 1-0 in the notoriously difficult surroundings of Bolivia.
New Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti says he is a big fan of West Ham’s playmaker and it showed as Paqueta played the entire game.
He will now head back to London before joining West Ham’s preparations for the massive clash with Spurs.
And Tottenham beware because West Ham have got their Rice back.