Premier League games are often decided in head-to-head battles. West Ham United, to a man, will need to be at their most focused, their most ferocious, if they are to end a ten-year hoodoo against Manchester City then.
The prospect of Max Kilman going head-to-head with Erling Haaland is enough to make even the ice-cool Nuno Espirito Santo reach for the aspirin.
Man City are without Jeremy Doku, Oscar Bobb and Omar Marmoush. But a West Ham United backline who have conceded 32 goals in 16 Premier League matches will obviously have their work cut out up against Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki and Savinho, not to mention a certain Norse God of a number nine.
Though Pep Guardiola, more than anybody else, knows that the midfield battle is where games are frequently won or lost though. And it is in the centre of the park where the Hammers can hope to have some semblance of joy.
Mateus Fernandes v Matheus Nunes – Who would YOU rather have? 🤔
And how many millions is the West Ham ace worth these days?
Left image, Mateus Fernandes of West Ham United during the Premier League match between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford on December 04, 2025 in Manchester, England. Right image, Matheus Nunes of Manchester City in action during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Sunderland at Etihad Stadium on December 6, 2025 in Manchester, England.
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Soungoutou Magassa ran the show at Old Trafford a fortnight ago. Against the other Manchester outfit, his physicality, athleticism and ball-winning qualities may be key to disrupting City’s rhythm.
Without Ballon D’Or winner Rodri, meanwhile, Guardiola is likely to pick between Nico Gonzalez, Tijjani Reijnders, Bernardo Silva and Matheus Nunes, if not all four.
Nico and Reijnders have struggled in the past against intense, all-action opponents. Bernardo Silva, at 31, is no longer the same fleet-footed force of old. So Freddie Potts may fancy his chances of getting on the ball and breaking the lines, as he is wont to do.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
Ditto Mateus Fernandes, one of the very few West Ham players capable of driving possession forward with a burst of acceleration.
Mateus Fernandes can show he has overtaken Matheus Nunes during West Ham United v Man City
Back to that 1-1 draw with Manchester United in early December, Fernandes frequently darted into the wide open spaces behind Ruben Amorim’s sluggish midfield. Without Rodri to break things up in front of the backline, Nuno may be tempted to position Fernandes higher up the pitch, giving the Portugal Under-21 skipper the licence to put his swashbuckling ball-carrying to very good use.
Amidst the array of intriguing pre-match subplots, a potential head-to-head battle between Fernandes and the aforementioned Matheus Nunes is certainly up there. Fernandes, after all, was the man many at Sporting Lisbon tipped to take Nunes’ place when he joined Wolves back in 2022.
Comparisons between the two Sporting graduates were commonplace back home in Portugal. Take Vasco Seabra, for instance, a coach who worked with Fernandes during a loan spell at Estoril in 2023/24.
“Talking about Mateus is very easy for me because he is a really good guy, very humble and with immense talent,” Seabra told BBC before Southampton paid £15 million to bring the Iberian to England.
“So it is easy to talk about a player with so many qualities that adapt so well to the Premier League. He is a very strong and aggressive player with a great ability to cover a lot of ground. He can run many kilometres per game, works hard for the team and can play further back, in the initial build-up phase.
“With us, he always helped in the build-up from the back, making the transition of the ball to the end zone. But he can also play further forward, close to the goal, because he can make good attacking moves from the back.
“Here in Portugal, he is often compared to Matheus Nunes. I believe that Mateus Fernandes has similar characteristics. He is a player who can play in more positions than Matheus Nunes. He can play in the initial phase, further back, but at the same time, if necessary, he can also play between the lines, as a false winger.”
Such is his wide array of qualities, Nuno admitted that Mateus Fernandes’ best position was a mystery to him when taking over from Graham Potter. Guardiola, meanwhile, has taken to using Nunes as a makeshift right-back over the last 12 months or so. That is the position he could start in again at the Etihad.
Which would be a shame, in truth. One of the most prodigious young talents in the league right now, it would be interesting to see how Fernandes fares up against the player many considered to be something of a stylistic elder sibling.
With Fernandes looking to force his way into Portugal’s World Cup squad, meanwhile, a Man of the Match showing and a rare Hammers victory on Saturday could have longer, more international repercussions.
What are the chances that anyone goes for a BIGGER fee than Declan Rice? 💸
And how much would you demand for Jarrod Bowen?
Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on November 23, 2025 in London, England.
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Fernandes deserves to be mentioned alongside Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba
One thing is for sure, Mateus Fernandes will not be overawed by the standard of the opposition.
Speaking on the Remi Martins podcast this week, he admitted that he feels even more ‘motivation’ to perform up against one of the division’s title challengers.
West Ham went the extra mile to lure Fernandes away from Southampton in August, paying £40 million for the privilege. If such a fee raised eyebrows – £40 million for a midfielder who finished rock bottom in a side who accumulated just 12 points – that no one is talking about his price tag now is testament to the consistency and the standard of Fernandes’ performances in claret and blue.
Fernandes has created the most chances of any West Ham player, and also averages the most tackles per game. Former Saints skipper Jo Tessem appears to be have been on the money, then, when he said Fernandes could become an ‘ultimate Premier League midfielder’ in time.
The Hammers have certainly not had a more complete, all-round operator since Declan Rice’s heyday. In an era where Brighton and Nottingham Forest are demanding fees in the region of £100 million for Carlos Baleba and Elliot Anderson, it is tempting to wonder if Fernandes will soon be viewed in a similar light.
Like Baleba, Anderson and the 2023 version of Declan Rice, he combines marvellous technique with fearsome physical qualities. Under contract at West Ham until 2030, do not be surprised if you start seeing Fernandes name mentioned in the same breath as a £100 million figure sooner rather than later.
For now, though, beating Man City for the first time in a decade is the focus.
“When the club is a big club, when I’m going to play against City or I’m going to play against United, I want to, that’s what I dreamed of,” a bullish, typically self-confident Fernandes says. “In other words, it gives me even more motivation.
“It’s true, in the tunnel, you feel it a little. I don’t know if it is nervous or anxious, but there’s a little buzzing in your head. But that all goes away as soon as you touch the ball.”
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox