West Ham fans blown away by ‘next Declan Rice’ after what he did vs Newcastle
Nuno Espirito Santo finally unlocked the key to victory as West Ham shocked Newcastle United at the London Stadium.
Tomas Soucek put the icing on the cake in the seventh minute of added time as West Ham claimed a 3-1 win over Newcastle on Sunday, 2 November, even after Jacob Murphy‘s fourth-minute opener.
Alan Shearer was furious with Eddie Howe’s side, especially after initially taking the lead in East London, and the defeat left the Magpies stranded 13th in the Premier League table after 10 games.
It has been a very difficult time for the Hammers, and the club are certainly not out of the woods yet. David Sullivan and Karren Brady remain under pressure, but the manager has won over some of the fans.
With Freddie Potts finally given a Premier League start, much of the fanbase has now accepted Nuno.
Freddie Potts wows during West Ham’s victory vs Newcastle
Having claimed the Player of the Match award, keeping quiet the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, and Sandro Tonali, supporters might be getting a little too excited about their new talent.
Despite being West Ham’s only defensive midfielder on the pitch, he combatted with ease, winning countless duels before turning the ball into attack, playing a key role at the London Stadium.
Very few have been able to do exactly that since Declan Rice‘s big-money move to Arsenal, but fans believe they might have just discovered his replacement in East London.
- @MarshyBoy26: “Potts will be the next Declan Rice. Gutted his goal didn’t stand today, would have topped off a brilliant performance from him.”
- @GuvnaB: “Freddie Potts is what we’ve been missing. Not just his ability, but when we’re struggling for identity, academy products have served us well. Every now and again, a top midfielder comes through. Carrick, Noble, Rice and now Potts. One of the most important players at the club imo.”
- @KieronClarke14: “Some player, by the way. We’ve only been calling for him to start all season.”
It will be extremely difficult for anyone to fill the shoes left by Rice at the London Stadium, but it would be incredible if another academy product were to take on that role for Nuno.
West Ham gem carries on the family tradition at the London Stadium
Fans will be very familiar with the name, given his family’s long-standing relationship with the Hammers, so there is yet another level of emotion to Potts’ first Premier League start.
In March 2001, his father, Steve, also made his first Premier League start for the club, with his brother, Dan, following suit in January 2013, over 12 years before the 22-year-old’s moment.
West Ham is known for being a family club, and with Potts expected to be the next big thing at the London Stadium, it is up to Nuno to nurture and develop the young talent now.