Credit: Imago

Daniel Davis

Mon 6 April 2026 21:55, UK

Kyle Walker-Peters was given a rare start in West Ham United‘s FA Cup defeat by Leeds.

The 28-year-old full-back has made 23 appearances in all competitions so far this campaign, scoring one goal in the Premier League and also registering an assist.

He completed his switch to the London Stadium as a free agent in July 2025 following his departure from Southampton, seemingly a smart, cost-effective deal for the Hammers.

But he has endured a stop-start season under Nuno Espirito Santo, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf typically his preferred options at wing-back.

Walker-Peters was steady enough against Leeds and, despite the brutal manner of the knockout, he did more than enough to stake his claim to feature more regularly.

How did Kyle Walker-Peters play vs Leeds?

The defender played the full 120 minutes of the showdown on Sunday and even scored his penalty in the shootout, beating Lucas Perri after he had saved Jarrod Bowen’s effort.

It was a typically understated overall display, one which will have gone under the radar.

But a look at his statistics proves he performed admirably in the absence of Wan-Bissaka, who was not able to play due to DR Congo’s World Cup qualification parade.

According to Sofascore, Walker-Peters took 87 touches and registered 21 carries, while also completing 49 of his 52 attempted passes, an impressive 94 per cent success rate.

Defensively, he won four of his seven tackles as well as recording five clearances and seven recoveries. He also won nine of his 14 ground duels and two of four aerially.

At the final whistle, his efforts were rewarded with a solid 7.4 rating.

While it can be argued that Wan-Bissaka is the better defender despite his rut, Walker-Peters has proven himself reliable at both ends of the pitch, making him a very useful weapon.

Walker-Peters’ awkward future dilemma

Clearly, then, Nuno has a dilemma at full-back – and there are no easy solutions.

Both Wan-Bissaka and Diouf have stepped up for the Hammers this season, with the latter especially catching the eye, leaving Walker-Peters stuck on the fringes.

He hasn’t been named in the starting line-up for a Premier League match in his last 10 squad inclusions and is approaching a crossroads less than a year into his stint at the club.

Walker-Peters deserves to be starting in the top-flight, but with no guaranteed spot for him in the XI, he may already be forced to chase a move away from East London.

His contract is set to run until 2028, having penned a three-year deal last summer, but he certainly wouldn’t break the bank of potential suitors, regardless of his good form.