One West Ham United player did something against Burnley that not even Kylian Mbappe managed, while threatening to force himself onto the same superstar-stacked lists as Jeremy Doku and Vinicius Junior.
That is the view of Suleyman Ozturk, anyway. The Dutch reporter who saw Crysencio Summerville run rings around Kyle Walker as West Ham burned past Burnley in a ruthless first-half display at Turf Moor.
Summerville emulated cult hero Jesse Lingard as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side moved to within three points of Nottingham Forest in 17th.
Here’s my hot take….
Doing a great job at Old Trafford – but there’s no way he’d have been a better fit to get us out of this mess than Nuno…
A graphic asking fans to 'prove us wrong' on the argument that Michael Carrick would do a worse job than Nuno Espirito Santo at West Ham.
Credit: Getty Images/Carl Recine
He is the first West Ham United player since Lingard’s iconic loan spell in 2021 to score in five successive games.
Should he find the net against Michael Carrick’s resurgent Manchester United at Old Trafford, he will become the first since Diafra Sakho in 2014 to score six in a row.
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West Ham United’s Crysencio Summerville earns Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe comparisons
Speaking to Voetbal International, Ozturk feels that Summerville is becoming impossible to ignore for the Dutch national team as the 2026 World Cup looms.
West Ham’s number seven is also now part of a very small group of forwards to consider themselves capable of beating the famously jet-heeled Walker in a footrace.
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“He reaches such a high and consistent level that it will be interesting for the Dutch national team of course,” Ozturk says. “You have to perform well over a longer period of time, I realise that. But I do find the level he’s currently reaching interesting. And why? Because it’s in the Premier League.”
Crysencio Summerville celebrates scoring for West Ham against Burnley.
Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images
“Summerville faced Kyle Walker, no longer the fastest defender on the planet. He was once the only defender capable of stopping Kylian Mbappe. But he completely outplayed him. Summerville scored a fantastic goal.”
Mateus Fernandes made the hard yards, a trademark driving run followed by a lovely through ball, but Summerville’s dinked finish over the onrushing Martin Dubravka was indicative of a man in the form of his life.
“It was always the Jarrod Bowen show,” Ozturk adds, wondering how long it will take before Summerville can be mentioned in the same breath as Manchester City’s Belgian speedster and a Real Madrid superstar.
“But now the analysis is all about Summerville, pulling West Ham out of the mire. They were already 90 per cent relegated in December, if the data is to be believed.
“You have Doku and Vinicius Junior, those kinds of guys. You could name a few more. But Summerville is slowly working his way into that group, if he maintains this level. But it does seem like this could be his level.”
You can ask Nuno to make one change ahead of the Man Utd game – what is it? 👀
What a record this is by the way 😍
A graphic showing West Ham's United recent home record against Manchester United.
Credit: Getty Images/Harry Murphy – Danehouse
Suleyman Ozturk predicts Liverpool could come calling
Roma and Tottenham Hotspur were linked with Summerville during the January transfer window. Fabrizio Romano feels West Ham’s number seven will be ‘one to watch’ over the summer. Ozturk can envisage Liverpool entering the conversation too, with Mo Salah expected to depart at the end of the season.
“Why wouldn’t [a massive club] buy him? He’s proving himself in the Premier League now. He’s decisive for West Ham every week, so you quickly become a very interesting player,” Ozturk adds, comments which will undoubtedly go down pretty poorly with the Hammers faithful.
“Tottenham Hotspur and AS Roma were too late last month. But next summer, a club could suddenly show up with a huge amount of money. And then Summerville suddenly becomes worth a sum that will shock you because he’s becoming an elite attacker on the wing.”
Nuno described Summerville as ‘amazing’ after West Ham won a fourth game in five across all competitions, and not only from an attacking perspective.
“Summerville is playing amazing, not only the work he does scoring and assisting but the way he moves on the pitch. [The way] he helps the defence without the ball,” Nuno said in Lancashire.
“He is in a nice moment. I think all the team did really well.”
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