West Ham take key positive in Liverpool loss thanks to big-money David Sullivan signing
Mateus Fernandes gave West Ham hope of earning something during their loss to Liverpool on Sunday.
West Ham were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool, as Nuno Espirito Santo’s three-game unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an end.
Things have been looking brighter since Nuno’s arrival, but the loss has only piled more pressure on the Irons to bounce back, with relegation still a strong possibility.
David Sullivan splashed the cash to bring Fernandes to E20 in the summer, and for a man who gets a lot of stick, he deserves his praise for this particular signing.
Mateus Fernandes was West Ham’s best player vs Liverpool
There have been protests against the West Ham board this season, and rightly so, with Sullivan at the heart of many failings in recent times.
The initial interest in Fernandes raised eyebrows, with many from a West Ham perspective sceptical over the midfielder, given his relegation with Southampton the previous season.
Despite concerns, Sullivan put his money on the table to sign the Portuguese star, which is now looking like a true masterstroke.
| Minutes | Key passes | Tackles (won) | Ground duels won | Rating |
| 90 | 3 | 2 (2) | 5 | 7.0 |
Fernandes was rated West Ham’s best player in the match by Sofascore and had a brilliant passing accuracy of 90 per cent against the defending English champions.
He constantly looked to break up Liverpool’s attacks and was also instrumental in orchestrating attacks for the Hammers.
The £38m that Sullivan spent on the 21-year-old is now looking to be the steal of the summer, and is someone who will only improve under Nuno.
Nuno should play Fernandes as a 10 in Lucas Paqueta’s absence
Lucas Paqueta’s red card was nothing short of appalling. The Brazilian completely let his team-mates down in the dying minutes of the match, where the Hammers looked certain to get an equaliser.
Instead, his moment of madness worked in favour of the Reds, and Cody Gakpo’s late goal helped the visitors take all three points back to Liverpool deep into stoppage time.
Paqueta will now miss West Ham’s next Premier League game versus Manchester United, which presents a perfect opportunity for Nuno to make a slight tweak in attack.
Fernandes would be a great option for Nuno to go with in the number 10 role against the Red Devils, as the youngster is bound to have an influence from a central position.
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