Pablo Felipe might have ended his search of a first ‘goal contribution’ during West Ham United’s 4-0 beating of Wolves, but absolutely nobody is crowning him the ‘best in the Premier League’ just yet.
Well, unless you are looking at one very specific, rather niche metric, that is.
Pablo still hasn’t scored a Hammers goal, in either league or cup. On the other hand, if you want a centre-forward who can lead the press, disrupt the opposition and defend from the front, there is statistically no one better than West Ham United’s £18 million January signing.
What have YOU made of Pablo so far? 🇧🇷
What do you think he can bring? And have you spotted any weaknesses?
West Ham United's Pablo Felipe celebrates after his side's first goal scored by Crysencio Summerville during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers on January 11, 2026 in London, England.
Per Analytics United, Pablo is the best centre-forward in the Premier League when it comes to ‘successful defensive actions’. He averages over six per game; double the number of the man sitting second in these rankings.
Jorgen Strand Larsen, if you were wondering.
Pablo Felipe is West Ham United’s secret weapon at Selhurst Park
West Ham discussed signing Strand Larsen before turning their attention to Pablo and Taty Castellanos. The former Wolves targetman would eventually join Crystal Palace on deadline day for an eye-watering £48 million.
Clearly, given the similarities between Pablo and Strand Larsen’s out-of-possession numbers, Nuno Espirito Santo was looking for a pretty unique, specific profile up top. Monday’s trip to Selhurst Park could, therefore, see the Hammers’ two January additions pitted against a much more expensive winter target.
Pablo Felipe during West Ham United's Premier League game against Wolves.
Photo by Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Nuno is confident the goals will flow for Pablo sooner rather than later. The elegant flick into Castellanos’ path against Wolves – a first assist at the eleventh attempt – should provide a timely kick of confidence.
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His superb defensive statistics, meanwhile, could see Pablo take on the role of ‘secret weapon’ in South London.
Crystal Palace are sweating on Adam Wharton’s fitness after he was forced off during Thursday’s Conference League quarter-final against Fiorentina.
If fit, Wharton will start at the base of Oliver Glasner’s midfield. He is the man who makes Palace tick. From that deep-lying playmaker role, Wharton has racked up a team-high five assists.
He ranks in the 91st percentile for ‘progressive passes’, meaning the former Blackburn kid is genuinely an elite-level talent when it comes to ‘breaking lines’. Wharton ranks in the 88th percentile for ‘key passes’, too.
Put simply, if Palace are to break through West Ham’s midfield, it will be Wharton who picks the lock. Fortunately, Nuno has an extremely hard-working, side-before-self attacker perfectly suited to performing man-marking duties while knocking Palace’s tempo-setter off-beat.
Any changes to this team? I wouldn’t drop KWP any time soon 👀
A graphic showing the XI that West Ham United should name against Crystal Palace on 20/04/2026.
Credit: GRV Media
Taty Castellanos raves about Pablo’s impact
Castellanos loves playing alongside Pablo. Captain Jarrod Bowen said the ex-Gil Vicente man provides the ‘platform’ for his teammates to build upon. What Pablo lacks in end product, he is capable of making up for when it comes to winning the ball high up the pitch and sparking counter-attacks.
“He’s a lad who’s a pleasure to play alongside because he has the same energy as me,” Castellanos said a few days after his quickfire brace against Wolves.
“I also love that people really highlight the work we do on the pitch, even though sometimes we don’t score or don’t create as many chances as we’d like.
“I try to help the team in any way I can, with my energy, with the pressure the team needs when it comes to pressing or retaining possession, knowing when to press and when not to. I think we’re doing very well up front, with Pablo too.”
Crystal Palace have a 46 per cent win rate with Wharton, compared to a measly 12 per cent without him. West Ham, then, may fancy their chances if the Blackburn-born Bellwether does not pull through in time from an adductor injury.
But even if Wharton is passed fit, the brawny presence of Pablo could limit his influence.
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