With all of the build up being about Mohammed Kudus and the [Tottenham](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-vs-tottenham-preview-team-news-predicted-lineups/) West Ham rivalry, few would have expected a defender to be mentioned in a report this afternoon as being the ‘one to watch’ at West Ham. Surely the high profile £40m-rated signing of Mateus Fernandes is worth a look? Not so, according to [nytimes.com/athletic](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/2025/september/60-seconds-on-west-ham-roshane-thomas-the-athletic/) journalist Roshane Thomas.
Mind you, Thomas should be as well qualified as any to judge, having been amongst the away fans at West Ham’s only win this season at the City Ground.
In Preparing his _’60 seconds’_ West Ham form briefing for Tottenham fans, Thomas singles out, somewhat surprisingly , West Ham’s **Konstantinos Mavropanos** as being reborn this season and the one to look out for:
_“Under the radar – Konstantinos Mavropanos, at the back. He’s looked very steady, especially at Forest and with Nayef Aguerd leaving (end of loan), it’s a chance for him to win over the fans, and that would be a great story.”_
Admittedly, Mavropanos appears to be the answer to West Ham’s early fragility in the air after conceding eight goals in the first two Premier League games, Graham Potter had to make changes. The inclusion of Mavropanos at the expense of Jean-Clair Todibo appears to make the Irons less vulnerable to crosses and corners and has protected Mads Hermansen better than in the openers.
What hasn’t been mentioned is that Tomas Soucek was noticeably first to the ball with his head from several ‘Forest corners too: Between the Czech and the Greek, Potter does seem to have tightened things up at the back, making the Hammers less vulnerable from the air. I’d still expect Spuds to pepper Hermansen with crosses early on and there’ll be an air of nerviness (from me anyway) every time the ball heads towards the Hammers keeper, but you just have to hope he survives and grows in confidence through the game.