Taty Castellanos and Mohamadou Kante in action for West Ham United.

Taty Castellanos and Mohamadou KanteImago

West Ham player ratings vs Portsmouth: Mohamadou Kante dazzles, Taty Castellanos even better

Correspondent AUTHORITY Sports journalist with experience at the Northern Echo and Durham Cricket Club; Teesside University graduate. FOCUS Long-form opinion and deep-dive content across the Breaking Media network. THE INSIGHT Jacob utilises a network of club and industry contacts to deliver verified, analytical reporting. He provides in-depth opinion and insight to ensure fans get beyond the headlines and into the detail.

Published on:

08 Aug 2026, 4:01 pm

West Ham United advanced to the next round of the Carabao Cup after a deserved 2-1 win over Portsmouth this Saturday.

Nuno Espirito Santo named a strong starting eleven for the Hammers' first competitive game of the season, and one that got the job done fairly easily in the end.

The Irons played in front of a packed-out London Stadium, and had to endure a very slow start to the game.

Edson Alvarez came close early on, after his close-range header from a corner was kept out, but John Mousinho's side took the lead through a deflected strike from Adrian Segecic.

Nuno's side were quick to respond, as Mohamadou Kante put the ball on a plate for Taty Castellanos before Jarrod Bowen's deflected long-range effort put the hosts back in front in E20.

Castellanos then thumped West Ham into a 3-1 lead, with the Hammers into the hat for the next round.

Mohamadou Kante staked his claim vs Portsmouth

Kante signed for West Ham in the summer of 2024, joining the Hammers on a five-year deal, as internal figures had high hopes for the midfielder.

The 20-year-old had somewhat of a chance for the Irons last season, making 14 appearances in total, but will be hoping for more opportunities this season.

Kante staked his claim and more against Pompey, as he played a pivotal role in dragging his side back into the game, spinning past defenders before setting up Castellanos for the equaliser in the 43rd minute.

This then gave West Ham the momentum they needed, and it only took them another two minutes until Bowen put them ahead before the break, later labelled as "one to watch" on Sky Sports' coverage of the match.

While most of the plaudits will go to Bowen and others, Kante's 20-touch masterclass has put his name right in the mix to start regularly for Nuno this season.

Taty Castellanos proved his importance to West Ham

Castellanos proved that he will most likely be the most lethal striker in the Championship this season with his goals.

Neither of them were special, but they were clinical finishes and once again proved why Nuno needs to try his best to convince the Argentine to stay.

The 27-year-old has only 20 touches in the game, but his positioning and running into space made him a threat all game against Portsmouth, taking the most shots in the game (5).

Time will tell if Castellanos will stay, but rumours have been nothing short of worrying for the Hammers so far, especially after his standout performance against Pompey.

The truth behind Taty Castellanos' supposed efforts to force his way out of West Ham