2nd November 2025 Daniel Luker (@danielluker_)
By Conor Hogan
Nuno Espírito Santo’s Jean-Clair Todibo has paid off as the former Barcelona and Nice star shines vs Newcastle United.
The Irons beat Newcastle 3-1 at London Stadium to record just their second league victory of the season, Nuno’s first win as West Ham manager and their first home win in nine months.
After Jacob Murphy’s goal breached the Hammers’ defence on four minutes, it felt like West Ham were in for yet another long afternoon in Stratford.
However, the Irons showed admirable resilience and desire to turn the tide in East London. A superb strike from Lucas Paquetà, an own goal from Sven Botman and a typical poacher’s finish from Tomáš Souček sealed a vital three points for the Hammers.
Although midfielders Freddie Potts and Paquetà will rightly make the headlines for their outstanding displays – their midfield partner Mateus Fernandes was also excellent – there is another Hammer that merits recognition for his display today: Jean-Clair Todibo.
The Frenchman has looked truly dismal at the back for the Irons this season, with some fans online even calling him “the worst centre-back to play for West Ham”. Although I wouldn’t go that far – anyone remember Roger Johnson? – the 25-year-old’s performances in an Irons shirt have been woeful this campaign.
However, this afternoon, Todibo looked like a defender you would spend £40 million on – tidy on the ball, strong in the air, composed in the tackle and cognisant of the opposition’s movement in the final third.
The No. 25 made ten clearances, won all three of his ground duels and, perhaps most impressively of all, didn’t give away a single foul all game. He had a truly excellent outing.
Frustratingly, today showed what the Frenchman is capable of in a Claret and Blue shirt. Todibo showed glimpses of his quality last season – most notably at home to Ipswich and away at Brentford – but has failed to replicate such form in 2025.
Todibo’s centre-back partner Max Kilman also put in a much-improved performance against the Magpies, but the former Nice defender was particularly impressive. Here’s hoping he can find some consistency and become a reliable defender for the Irons.