Everything Ashley Williams said about ‘excellent’ West Ham star vs Sunderland on Match of the Day
West Ham were phenomenal in their 3-1 win over Sunderland at the London Stadium on Saturday.
Nuno Espirito Santo was under pressure before the match, but three first-half goals from Crysencio Summerville, Jarrod Bowen, and Mateus Fernandes won the game for the Hammers.
Although Brian Brobbey scored a consolation goal, West Ham had more than enough to see off the Black Cats, and they now sit just two points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
West Ham’s win over Sunderland was emphatic, to say the least, and Ashley Williams couldn’t contain how impressed he was with the display.
Ashley Williams singles out Mateus Fernandes’ performance
Fernandes has been a breath of fresh air since joining from Southampton in the summer transfer window, and he has certainly been one of the bright sparks during a miserable campaign.
Against the Black Cats, he scored a beautiful long-range goal in the 43rd minute and also hit the bar in the closing moments of the match with another fierce strike from distance.
Speaking on Match of the Day on 24 January, Williams highlighted how influential he was in midfield.
He said: “I thought he was excellent today. In possession, he had quality; out of possession, he brought energy and tenacity.
| Stat | Total | Team rank |
| Touches | 68 | 1st |
| Successful passes | 43 | 1st |
| Passes in the final third | 17 | 1st |
| Tackles | 5 | 1st |
| Crosses | 4 | =1st |
| Shots | 3 | =1st |
“He’s only 21 years old, and we’re seeing him drop in between the centre-backs to showcase his range of passing.
“Without [Lucas] Paqueta in the team, it gives Fernandes the chance to dominate midfield, and he ranked first among his team in a number of stats.
“That kind of performance from him might just be the difference in West Ham staying up.”
The Portuguese midfielder is really starting to come into his own, and the deal to sign him for £42million looks to be a bargain.
With Paqueta looking likely to leave West Ham, Fernandes is more than capable of replacing his quality on the ball.
Fernandes is the perfect Lucas Paqueta replacement
Paqueta is such a unique player, and his ability in the middle of the pitch, as well as on the left of the front three, makes him a hard player to lose.
Coincidentally, Fernandes played on the left wing against Nuno’s Nottingham Forest on 31 August, excelling on his debut and playing a huge part in West Ham’s first away win of the campaign.
It must be said that the Brazilian’s recent form hasn’t been good enough, and the Hammers arguably look better without him in the team.
Fernandes can clearly be used in much more advanced positions, but as we saw against Sunderland, he thrives playing alongside Tomas Soucek in a two-man midfield.
At just 21 years of age, he certainly has all the potential to surpass Paqueta’s legacy in E20.
With Real Madrid following his future, West Ham may go on to make a sizeable profit on Fernandes in the coming years.
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