Alan Shearer loves ‘outstanding’ Mateus Fernandes who set West Ham example vs Burnley
Nuno Espirito Santo finally has West Ham fans feeling positive heading into the final international break of the year.
West Ham beat Burnley 3-2 at the London Stadium on Saturday, and Nuno now has back-to-back wins as Hammers boss after a slow start.
Thousands of West Ham fans protested before the game on 8 November, as calls for David Sullivan and Karren Brady to step down have continued.
There are many positives Nuno can take from the match against the Clarets, as Callum Wilson may be the answer to West Ham’s striker problems after his performance.
Tomas Soucek was at the heart of West Ham‘s win too, but it was Mateus Fernandes who stole the show.
Alan Shearer hails Mateus Fernandes for showing vs Burnley
Fernandes joined the Hammers at what seemed like the worst time possible, but after enduring a rough start to life at the London Stadium, he is now finding his feet.
The Portuguese midfielder was everywhere against Scott Parker’s side, and without him, the Irons may not have gotten the three points.
| Minutes | Accurate passes | Tackles (won) | Long balls (accurate) | Interceptions | Key passes | Touches | Rating |
| 90 | 52/53 | 3 (3) | 1 (1) | 2 | 3 | 74 | 7.7 |
Fernandes completed 98 per cent of his passes, which is simply outstanding from any midfielder in a Premier League game, especially when playing forward balls.
Speaking on BBC‘s Match of the Day on Saturday, Alan Shearer hailed Fernandes as “outstanding” and explained how he has now set an example for other West Ham players.
Shearer said: “I thought he was outstanding, and the stats will tell you, he was without a doubt the best player on the park. The standard wasn’t great at times today, but he was the standout.
“I thought he did very well, whether that was attacking or defending. He set a great example for what the West Ham fans want.”
Nuno will be delighted with his midfield options and will hope to continue the good form after the break.
Nuno Espirito Santo has found his perfect midfield
It hasn’t been a fairly straightforward start for Nuno and his coaching staff, but after failed tests and experimentation, he seems to have found his perfect midfield.
Lucas Paqueta is a staple in the West Ham midfield, as Freddie Potts continues to impress, with Fernandes now showing his importance.
Soucek was very effective from the bench for West Ham’s second-half goals, but it may be that Nuno sees the Czech Republic midfielder as a back-up option now, given how the current midfield is playing.
Regardless, it’s a healthy problem for Nuno to have, as at the very least, Fernandes and Paqueta cannot be dropped.
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