West Ham star who won 11 duels vs QPR just restored Premier League safety hopes – it wasn’t Castellanos
Taty Castellanos scored his first goal for West Ham on Sunday to see them beat QPR 2-1 and progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup.
West Ham signed both Castellanos and Pablo Felipe in the opening days of the January transfer window, spending around £42million in a bid to bolster Nuno Espirito Santo‘s front-line.
The Irons are in serious danger of relegation following Tuesday’s loss to Nottingham Forest, with a seven-point gap now separating them from safety.
But Castellanos impressed on his West Ham debut, and has provided some hope that there could be a way out.
If there is, however, it will have to be found quickly, with West Ham paying serious consideration to the idea of sacking Nuno.
Crysencio Summerville stuns vs QPR
It was Castellanos who got the winner in extra time for West Ham, but the real star of the show was Crysencio Summerville.
The forward played all 120 minutes but never seemed to stop running, at any point, providing the key moments for the Hammers.
Summerville got the first goal with a thumping finish, and his perfectly executed cross put the ball on a plate for Castellanos to score the winning goal.
| Crysencio Summerville | Vs QPR |
| Minutes played | 120 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Shots | 5 |
| Successful dribbles | 6/10 |
| Duels won | 11/16 |
The 24-year-old enjoyed five shots against QPR and completed six successful dribbles as well, being fouled twice.
The most impressive part of his stat line, however, may well belong to the defensive side of his performance.
Summerville made three tackles, completed a massive 10 recoveries, and, incredibly, won 11 duels.
Much of the discussion surrounding West Ham’s chances of safety in the Premier League this season has centred around Jarrod Bowen, and, now, the new big-money striker.
But it was Summerville who provided hope on Sunday, and proved the presence of another player who can make a difference in the fight.
Summerville sends West Ham message after relieving win
Sunday’s victory was not in the Premier League, but it must have felt like a massive weight off the backs for West Ham.
The Irons had not won since the start of November, a run of 10 consecutive league games without the taste of victory.
Nuno will hope now that monkey is off their backs, his squad can use the moment to encourage a turnaround in the league.
“Happy with the win today, happy with the support of you guys and see you in the next round,” Summerville said in a message to the West Ham fans. “Come on you Irons.”