Credit: Breaking Media/Manh Tung

Scott Mason

Mon 6 April 2026 7:45, UK

Adama Traore may be able to help West Ham United stay up after he produced his best performance in the claret and blue against Leeds.

The Hammers bowed out of the FA Cup after losing on penalties to the Whites on Sunday, a defeat which may be tough to take.

The Irons certainly fought for their chance at Wembley. With Nuno Espirito Santo’s side 2-0 down when the 90th minute came around, it was remarkable that the final score before extra time was set at 2-2.

One player who certainly gave their all was Traore, who has had limited chances to build momentum at London Stadium.

However, as West Ham exited the FA Cup, the Spanish winger came out of the game with his own personal positives, and there were quite a few.

Adama Traore proves he still has Premier League quality

There have been questions around whether Nuno trusted Traore at West Ham, with Pablo being used as a winger in recent weeks.

However, with that experiment failing to work, the Portuguese manager reverted to playing a winger in their natural position.

The decision to play Traore worked a treat, and the 30-year-old played a key role in the Hammers’ comeback, as Crysencio Summerville missed out again.

Traore can often be a frustrating figure, but on this occasion, he came up trumps.

The winger provided the assist as Axel Disasi completed what was an unlikely turnaround in added time.

However, his performance was more than just picking up a goal contribution. The winger looked brimming full of confidence and was once more a forward that defenders are frightened of coming up against.

Traore’s self-belief was evident in how often he attempted to dribble against Leeds in his 120-minute appearance.

He completed eight from an attempted 11. Additionally, he created two big chances for the Hammers and won 12 out of 19 ground duels.

Traore also proved to be a forward-focused winger as well, with him progressing the ball more than anyone else with 160.1 metres.

Overall, Traore may finally have lift-off at London Stadium.

Will West Ham keep Adama Traore after this season?

Before facing Leeds, the answer would have been no, and truthfully, one good performance should not change that outlook.

However, if Traore can continue to produce a similar vein of performance in the majority of fixtures left this season, then his future in E20 could be secured.

Traore is now essentially playing for a contract as the Irons hold a one-year option to keep him.

The former Fulham forward has certainly done his chances no harm with his display against Leeds. Hopefully, there is more to come from him.