Mateus Fernandes to highlight West Ham importance in wake of early Brentford struggles
Mateus Fernandes could be a key player for West Ham against Brentford in the FA Cup, but earlier in the season, it was a completely different story.
The Portuguese midfielder took some time to get his bearings around the London Stadium, but now, he has been one of the more consistent performers in the claret and blue.
Early displays from Fernandes made it look as if the Hammers had made a mistake in signing him, with his last game against Brentford leaving little to desire.
However, now, as another matchup against the Bees comes around, and this time in FA Cup action, he has the chance to prove just how much of a difference-maker he has been since then.
What happened last time Mateus Fernandes faced Brentford?
Back in October, West Ham lost 2-0 to Brentford at the London Stadium, in what was quite a toothless performance.
Over the course of the 90 minutes, the Hammers only managed to create 0.35 xG, according to Sofascore, and Fernandes was one of the more lacklustre players.
After just 45 minutes, the 21-year-old was substituted, with the midfielder having little to no impact on proceedings.
With recent performances, West Ham fans would not even consider taking Fernandes off that early.
In that October match, the summer signing was sparsely involved, with only 17 touches and completing 12 passes.
Far and away from what Hammers fans have now come to know, with his season averages standing at 57.5 touches per game and 36.6 passes per game.
Additionally, the decision to take him off could also have been down to his struggles throughout his individual battles. Fernandes won just 25 per cent of his duels that day.
Now, a few months on, Fernandes has redeemed himself at the Irons, quickly becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet.
He can prove his newfound importance to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side with an opposite performance against the Bees this time around, hopefully culminating in a different outcome.
- Read more: Nuno may decide to rest Fernandes against Brentford – check out our predicted West Ham XI
Has Mateus Fernandes been West Ham’s best signing this season?
There is certainly an argument to be had that Fernandes’ impact has had the largest effect at London Stadium this season.
Although it’s early days, Axel Disasi could perhaps be the closest challenger to that title. El Hadji Malick Diouf has also been shown to be a quality player, but none have been as consistent as Fernandes.
The Portuguese midfielder is rated by Sofascore as West Ham’s top-performing player at 7.2, even beating the likes of Jarrod Bowen (7.01) to that crown.
Things may have started tough for the former Southampton man, but he has proven that you should not write any players off early.
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