With Lucas Paqueta suspended again and Crysencio Summerville likely to miss out, extra emphasis will be placed on Mateus Fernandes’ creative talents when West Ham face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Thursday night.
The Hammers have only won once away at their Premier League opponents since Carlos Tevez’s final day heroics in 2007. Only thirteen West Ham United players have scored on the hallowed Old Trafford turf since the competition began over 30 years ago.
Captain Jarrod Bowen is on a seven-game goal drought, too. It’s fair to say the stats are not in their favour.
Furthermore, first-choice left-winger Crysencio Summerville is a major doubt. And, after Lucas Paqueta picked up a ‘ridiculous’ red card against Liverpool, the mercurial and occasionally maddening Brazil international will miss a second game in three through suspension.
In short, while Man United are hardly the all-conquering force of old, the odds of a second successive Old Trafford victory have lengthened considerably.
So, as Nuno maybe weighs up whether to start Luis Guilherme or potentially even fast-track George Earthy’s return to the first-team fold, how the Hammers could do with a Mateus Fernandes midfield masterclass.
Mateus Fernandes and Alex Scott battle during Bournemouth v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Mateus Fernandes may be West Ham United’s best hope without Lucas Paqueta
Mateus Fernandes looked like West Ham’s best hope of deepening Liverpool’s woes on Sunday. As it transpired, the Portugal Under-21 international was far from his best in a game the visitors dominated.
But, up against a geriatric midfield two of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, Fernandes’ running power, tenacity and ball-carrying could come in extremely handy.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
Furthermore, only Paqueta has created as many chances as Fernandes in Premier League matches this season, with 14 apiece.
The £40 million signing from Southampton might only have one assist for his new employers, but that clearly is not for a lack of trying. Or creating, for that matter. With Paqueta absent, who better than Fernandes to carry the creative burden upon his shoulders?
Does this stat show Mateus Fernandes can replace Lucas Paqueta?
Most chances created by Hammers players this season…
Lucas Paqueta and Mateus Fernandes, 14
James Ward-Prowse, 12
Jarrod Bowen, 11
Malick Diouf, 8
Niclas Fullkrug, 7
Freddie Potts, 5
Crysencio Summerville and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 3
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
The chance creation metric is not the only one Fernandes tops at the London Stadium though.
Ruben Amorim was so disappointed when Mateus Fernandes left Sporting Lisbon to join Southampton in the summer of 2024. Just over a year later, as the player prepares to reunite with the coach who handed him his senior debut in Lisbon, Fernandes has the chance to show Amorim just how much he has developed the lesser-heralded parts of his game.
Fernandes could be the key to stopping Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha
Fernandes averages 2.2 tackles per game in the Premier League as a West Ham player. An almighty increase from his Southampton average of one per game, and the joint-most again alongside Paqueta.
What we can glean from this – in addition to Paqueta’s often commendable work-rate – is that Fernandes may also be key to stopping Matheus Cunha in full flow.
Ruben Amorim will have Cunha available to him again after the former Wolves talisman missed Man United’s last two matches. And there are certainly similarities between Cunha and Fernandes, beyond their shared Portuguese tongue.
Both players love to pick up the ball in deep positions and drive forward through the thirds before letting off shots from range or playing clever passes in behind. Yet, Fernandes also possesses the ball-winning potential and the strength to knock Cunha off his stride.
Presuming he starts alongside Freddie Potts again, Nuno might just have enough aggression in the centre of the park to outrun and outfight a Man United side with two 30-somethings and a potentially less-than fully-fit Cunha at their disposal.
Nuno Espirito Santo thinks the Portugal Under-21 ace is a ‘special’ talent
One issue Nuno must solve, however, is the issue of Fernandes’ best, most effective position.
While Nuno feels West Ham have a ‘special’ talent on their hands, the former Estoril loanee has bounced from a deep-lying number eight role to an advanced ten, while occasionally popping up on the left.
Against Man United, Nuno has the option of starting him in Summerville’s usual role ahead of Luis Guilherme with Soungoutou Magassa coming in alongside Potts, or perhaps in a midfield pivot with potentially Tomas Soucek starting behind Callum Wilson.
Can you guess the three missing players from West Ham’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford in 2007?
West Ham United's XI from the 2007 win at Manchester United
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
“Mateus is a challenge that we have on our hands, and we sincerely believe that we can help Mateus,” Nuno told DAZN Portugal in October.
“[Fernandes can] improve as a player, become a more mature person. A young person is capable of, I believe, giving many, many joys to West Ham. We have something special there.”
“I see that he has the capacity, the versatility of actually occupying several positions on the field,” Nuno adds. “So, I believe that he can play inside, he can play on the outside, he can play, if we want, as a ‘ten’ or play as a ‘six’.
“He has that ability.
“[But which midfield partner is] better for Mateus to have by his side? Can he produce better? Therefore, this identification, if you will, of partnerships, of the communication between players, the triangles, the pivots, is what helps the players to improve.”
Whatever position he plays at Old Trafford, Mateus Fernandes is likely to be central to West Ham’s hopes of a statement away win, both in and out of possession.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox