By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
Nuno Espírito Santo took a considerable gamble with his team selection against Southampton, but West Ham’s youngsters didn’t just repay his faith — several of them produced performances which should give the manager a genuine selection headache ahead of Watford.
The eventual 4-1 scoreline might suggest the senior reinforcements came from the bench to rescue the kids. In reality, it was almost the opposite.
West Ham were already 2-1 ahead when Jarrod Bowen, Manor Solomon, Arne Engels and Taty Castellanos arrived after 61 minutes. The youngsters had done the hard work; the cavalry merely added the finishing touches.
As I wrote in the Southampton player ratings, several of them have now given Nuno a genuine problem ahead of Watford.
Orford Ran The Show
For me, Lewis Orford was the best player on the pitch.
It wasn’t just his passing. He controlled the tempo and looked like somebody completely comfortable taking responsibility for West Ham’s midfield.
The statistics are outstanding. Orford completed 59 of his 64 passes, produced four key passes, registered two assists and made nine recoveries. He also won ten duels.
This is clearly a massive season for him, particularly after West Ham allowed Freddie Potts to leave.
We’ve already seen signs of Orford’s growing importance. Even during the dreadful defeat against Charlton, his introduction at half-time improved West Ham’s midfield.
On this evidence, Orford is completely justifying the decision to put more faith in him this season.
Ajala is congratulated by his West Ham teammates
Ajala Provides Exactly What West Ham Lack
Josh Ajala’s numbers are wonderfully simple: two shots, two shots on target, two goals.
Even more impressively, those goals came from a combined xG of just 0.51, highlighting the quality of his finishing. He also won six of his ten duels.
But the statistics don’t fully explain what impressed me.
It was his pace, energy and willingness to chase lost causes.
I’ve been banging on about Championship opponents being quicker and more energetic than West Ham, and Ajala immediately injected something different.
I’d be keeping him at the club now. Not necessarily as a starter, but certainly as a serious first-team option from the bench.
| Player | Standout Stat |
|---|---|
| Lewis Orford | 2 assists & 4 key passes |
| Josh Ajala | 2 shots, 2 goals |
| Airidas Golambeckis | 9 interceptions/clearances |
| Divin Mukasa | 5/6 final-third passes |
| Max Kilman | 54/54 passes completed |
Golambeckis Grew Into The Game
Airidas Golambeckis was perhaps the biggest surprise.
The longer the match went on, the more confident he became. Initially he looked happy to defend, but gradually he started stepping forward and becoming involved in West Ham’s build-up too.
He completed 43 of 52 passes, won two of his three aerial duels and recorded nine interceptions/clearances.
West Ham’s problems at centre-back are hardly a secret. The club have been looking for another defender following the failure to bring Axel Disasi back, while Konstantinos Mavropanos has struggled recently.
There is at least an argument for Golambeckis being given an opportunity.
Whether Nuno would actually make such a bold selection is another matter.
Mukasa Offers Something Different
Divin Mukasa’s performance was another reminder of something this West Ham team desperately lacks: somebody capable of carrying the football through central areas.
He won seven of 12 duels and completed five of six passes into the final third, but the fourth goal demonstrated his qualities better than any spreadsheet could.
Mukasa and Orford drove West Ham forward with the sort of pace and purpose that has too often been missing.
There was a reason I wanted to see Mukasa given his chance at Southampton following his encouraging cameo against Charlton.
He certainly took it.
For me, Mukasa has made himself extremely difficult to leave out.
Even The Defence Made Its Case
There were encouraging numbers elsewhere.
Max Kilman completed an extraordinary 54 passes from 54 attempts, while Joël Veltman won eight of 12 duels and supplied the assist for Castellanos.
Finlay Herrick made four saves from Southampton’s five shots on target.
Ezra Mayers also deserves consideration at left-back against Watford. After Ollie Scarles’ difficult performance against Charlton, giving him a breather wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
Perhaps that is the biggest consequence of this victory.
Nuno selected a youthful team because this was the Carabao Cup. They responded by playing with so much energy, confidence and enthusiasm that when the established first-team players eventually arrived, they had to match the standards the kids had already set.
Some of them have surely earned more than another cup appearance.