West Ham player ratings vs Derby: Max Kilman outstanding but teammate let's chance pass by
West Ham United ran out 3-0 winners over Derby County on Saturday.
Nuno Espirito Santo made two changes to the side that beat Wolves 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Joel Veltman replaced Kyle Walker-Peters at right-back, whilst Taty Castellanos was drafted as a late replacement in the XI for Pablo.
It was Joel Piroe's goal-line tap-in that gave the Hammers the lead with just six minutes on the clock.
Edvin Austbo and Mohamadou Kante grabbed late goals after coming on as subs to make sure of the points, as the Irons recorded successive wins for the first time
West Ham Zone grades every Hammers player that saw action against Derby out of 10.
Max Kilman revival continues in West Ham win vs Derby
If you'd have asked West Ham fans whether Max Kilman would still be a Hammers player beyond this summer at the end of last term, many would've laughed.
The 29-year-old endured a rough 2025-26 campaign, which saw him come in for regular criticism and thus ensured he looked destined for the transfer screapheap.
However, he's now played every single minute of every single competitive game so far in 2026-27, and he's been superb in all of them.
Kilman continuously found joy playing forward passes, whilst every duel that was there to be won, the ex-Wolves man made sure he came out on top.
It was a proper centre-back performance from Kilman, and one that reaffirmed he's going to be a vital player for West Ham this season.
However, one of his fellow defensive comrades may have not have furthered his case for a starting role in Nuno's side.
Joel Veltman doesn't grasp latest starting opportunity
As aforementioned, Walker-Peters was axed from the team that beat Wolves as Nuno favoured Veltman at right-back this afternoon.
The 34-year-old free agent signing was back in the XI for the first time since Watford, and he may be set for a spell out of it after Saturday too.
Veltman struggled to consistently find his teammates with his passing, and didn't find his range with his crosses or long ball attempts either.
He wasn't really in the game from a duels standpoint either, as the afternoon seemed to pass him by without the Dutchman stamping his authority on it.
If he's going to keep Walker-Peters out of the team, then Veltman is going to have to be fare more involved than he was on Saturday afternoon.
West Ham player ratings vs Derby
Mads Hermansen - 6
Joel Veltman - 6
Max Kilman - 9
Ollie Scarles - 7
Arne Engels - 7
Divine Mukasa - 7
Jarrod Bowen - 8
Manor Solomon - 8
Joel Piroe - 8
Taty Castellanos - 8
Substitutes
Lewis Orford (for Castellanos, '64) - 5
Edvin Austbo (for Solomon, '77) - N/A
Adama Boiro (Scarles, '77) - N/A
Mohamadou Kante (for Bowen, '91) - N/A
Morato (for Mukasa, '91) - N/A