**“We’ve got Taty, we’ve got Taty, we’ve got Taty Castellanos.”**
That was the cry around the London Stadium on Friday night when West Ham’s Argentinian striker came off the pitch.
The former Lazio man had scored a brace to help the Irons to a crucial 4-0 victory against Wolves, and the crowd rightly acknowledged his efforts when he was substituted. It was a great night for the 27-year-old, who has now scored five goals in 16 Premier League appearances.
Castellanos has been criticised at times for his sometimes sub-par finishing, a discourse that reached its peak during the Irons’ FA Cup defeat to Leeds last weekend. At 1-0 down, Taty hit the post with a close-range header, which many fans felt could have changed the game.
Additionally, after West Ham’s miraculous comeback to force extra time, the striker was caught offside, ruling out what would have been a superbly taken winning goal to send the Hammers to Wembley.
The Argentinian has had a tough couple of weeks, but his brace against Wolves was a great moment – and one he deserved.
Despite some of his questionable finishing – even the two goals he scored weren’t the prettiest – Taty runs his heart out every time he puts on the West Ham shirt, and has formed a pretty good strike partnership with fellow January signing Pablo.
Neither attacker has been the most prolific, but both work incredibly hard. Their relentless pressing of the opposition has significantly helped the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, players that Nuno Espírito Santo’s side have relied on for goals in 2026.
Taty’s link-up play has also been impressive, as was seen on Friday night. The striker has only been in East London a few months, but he already seems to have a good understanding with his fellow attackers. The way he worked his first goal against Wolves with Summerville and Pablo was delightful.
He’s not the most glamorous striker, but he is the one that is working. He has been head and shoulders above Niclas Füllkrug during his time in East London and displays the work rate and technical ability that Michail Antonio had lost in the latter stages of his Hammers career.
Taty, among others, is proving to be one of the reasons I hope West Ham stay in the Premier League this season, because I’m really excited to see what more he can provide given a full season as Nuno’s starting number nine.