West Ham United suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, which left the Irons in 18th place in the Premier League table.
The Hammers initially matched Spurs pound for pound, but the visitors exploited [West Ham’s weakness on set-pieces](https://westhamblog.co.uk/posts/west-hams-set-piece-struggles-haunt-potter-again-in-3-0-loss-to-tottenham/) and claimed all three points from the encounter at the London Stadium.
West Ham struggled in the second half when Tottenham upped the tempo and scored from a corner.
To make matters worse, Tomas Soucek picked up a red card, leaving the Irons more exposed.
Manager Graham Potter sought more solidity in the engine room. He turned to Soungoutou Magassa, and the Frenchman was mint.
Magassa kept things neat in the centre, completing 12 of his 13 passes (92% accuracy) and his one attempted long ball (100% accuracy).
He also won two of his four duels. He blocked one shot and made two tackles.
The 21-year-old delivered a promising cameo on his debut for the East London outfit and showed Potter he can trust him in the cauldron that is the Premier League.
[Upon signing, Potter lauded the 6ft2ins Magassa as a ‘determined, hungry, and focused young man’](https://www.whufc.com/news/west-ham-united-sign-soungoutou-magassa). The former Monaco ace showed those qualities.
With Soucek suspended, next weekend’s clash with Crystal Palace is the perfect opportunity for Magassa to earn a start.
The Frenchman’s assured debut cameo against Tottenham suggested he has the poise and presence to anchor West Ham’s midfield.
Partnering him with Mateus Fernandes would give Potter’s side a balanced double pivot full of energy and mobility.
Both players are comfortable covering ground, breaking up play, and progressing the ball quickly into dangerous areas.
That dynamism would free Lucas Paqueta to focus on dictating the final third, rather than constantly having to drop deep into midfield.
Palace are strong in transition and can overrun a sluggish midfield, so West Ham must meet them with legs and bite.
Magassa has already shown flashes of composure under pressure.
Alongside Fernandes, he could give the Hammers a fresh midfield platform to build on during this early stretch of the season.
_Stats from Sofascore_