Mateus Fernandes axed in four Nuno Espirito Santo changes – West Ham predicted XI vs Brentford
Mateus Fernandes could find himself on the bench when West Ham host Brentford in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Monday.
The Hammers needed extra time to beat both QPR and Burton Albion in this season’s competition, but they’ll be hoping for a stress-free affair at the London Stadium.
Brentford have already proven to be a tough match for West Ham this season, although Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are a completely different team to the one that lost 2-0 to the Bees in October.
The Hammers will be desperate to qualify for the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 2016, and Fernandes could be among four players to be rotated out of the starting line-up.
Mateus Fernandes dropped for Soungoutou Magassa in four changes
Having joined the Hammers for a fee of £42million from Southampton in the summer, Fernandes instantly impressed fans in his first few appearances.
The 21-year-old has been one of West Ham‘s standout performers, and Nuno has certainly gotten the best out of him in a deeper role.
According to Sofascore, the Portuguese midfielder has created 28 chances and completed 22 successful dribbles since his arrival in E20.
| Stat | Fernandes |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Pass accuracy | 87.8% |
| Tackles | 75 |
| Touches | 1,553 |
However, he is definitely in need of a break, and Soungoutou Magassa will likely take his place as a result.
In fact, his midfield partner, Tomas Soucek, might also drop out of the team for the returning Freddie Potts.
Oliver Scarles could come back into the side to replace El Hadji Malick Diouf, with the young left-back in need of some game time.
And the final change would see Alphonse Areola replace Mads Hermansen in goal.
Alphonse Areola’s future is on the line in West Ham vs Brentford
Hermansen replaced Areola at the start of this season after joining the Hammers from Leicester City, but the Frenchman quickly regained his spot in the team.
However, the Dane was reinstated to the starting lineup by Nuno in the 2-0 win over Burnley in February.
This has led to speculation around Areola’s future in E20, who might feel he was unfairly dropped after a mixed run of performances, as seen in the Sofascore graphic below.
The FA Cup is the perfect opportunity for him to prove why he should be starting, and if he plays well against Brentford, it could force Nuno to rethink his decision.
However, if he makes a costly mistake, it would confirm his long-term future as West Ham’s second-choice goalkeeper.
That’s why Monday night’s game is incredibly important for his career.
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