Soungoutou Magassa by the numbers – Nuno has found new West Ham star already after what he did vs Everton
Nuno Espirito Santo shook things up in his first game in charge of West Ham against Everton on Monday night.
West Ham players showed a difference under Nuno straight away as they battled hard for a point at Everton.
The change in performance didn’t happen by chance, as Nuno made bold decisions when picking his squad to travel to Merseyside.
Soungoutou Magassa was one of those handed an opportunity by Nuno – and the Frenchman didn’t disappoint.
Soungoutou Magassa rarely gave the ball away on his first Premier League start for West Ham
Magassa was overlooked by Graham Potter, as the recently axed manager opted for James Ward-Prowse over him.
Before kick-off, Nuno revealed a conversation he had with Ward-Prowse that has put the Englishman’s Hammers future in doubt, which Magassa looks to have capitalised on.
| Minutes | Pass accuracy | Long balls (accurate) | Ground duels (won) | Tackles | Dribbles (successful) | Touches |
| 59 | 88% | 3 (2) | 8 (4) | 2 | 1 (1) | 43 |
When Magassa was on the ball for West Ham, he was looking to play the ball forward quickly and did so, rarely giving the ball away.
Magassa earned a solid 6.8 Sofascore rating despite receiving a yellow card, impressing with a well-rounded display that went beyond the typical duties of a defensive midfielder.
Nuno was interested in Magassa when he was Forest boss earlier in the season, and now looks set to utilise the man he sought after.
However, it’s not going to be entirely straightforward for Magassa as he faces stiff competition from another top performer against Everton.
Magassa has competition with Freddie Potts
Youth product Freddie Potts made his second appearance in the league last night when Nuno made the decision to bring him on for Magassa.
Potts has been touted to start for West Ham in their upcoming game against Arsenal, as fans liked what they saw from one of their own.
Regardless, it’s a good headache for Nuno to have, as the pair of young midfielders will provide healthy competition to one another.
West Ham will look to return to winning ways before the October international break as Nuno seeks his first victory as Hammers boss.
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