West Ham’s victory over Southampton was huge for their Premier League survival hopes.
The 3-1 triumph pulls them out of the relegation zone, pushing them up to 16th in the table in the process. They are still level on points with Bournemouth, who dropped down to 18th last weekend despite drawing 2-2 with Chelsea, but things look a lot rosier for David Moyes and his players.
It was actually the Saints who dominated possession, having the ball 67% of the time compared to 33%, but they were far more dangerous in front of goal with seven shots on target compared to two. Moyes can be happy with the displays from several of his players, and Pablo Fornals was one of those to shine the brightest.
The Spaniard was heavily involved in the Hammers’ attacking play, managing two assists in the process. He can be proud of his showing across the 90 minutes.
Of course, the only reason he started this clash was arguably down to Tomas Soucek’s injury. The Czech Republic international joined on loan from Slavia Prague in January but was forced off against Liverpool early in the second half, with Fornals replacing him.
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His goal in the second 45 minutes of that clash off the bench saw him start against the south-coast side – his first inclusion in the starting XI in six matches – and he repaid his manager’s faith.
It has been a mixed debut campaign for the 23-year-old. There have been some good moments since joining from Villarreal – he does have two goals and five assists in the Premier League so far – but he was lambasted by portions of the club’s fanbase earlier in the campaign for what they have seen as lacklustre showings.
Despite being an attacking midfielder by trade, Fornals has played an awful lot on the wing. He has played 13 matches on the left or right flank, as per Transfermarkt, which is more than he has played in the number 10 role. However, Soucek’s injury has forced Mark Noble to move back to a deeper role alongside Declan Rice, giving Fornals the opportunity to return to his favoured position – in 133 minutes of football since then, he has a goal and two assists.
The loanee’s injury woes have ended up rejuvenating Fornals, a player the Irons spent £24m on just last summer. And clearly, if he is at his best, it gives the London outfit a greater chance of success. Even when Soucek returns, Moyes should think long and hard whether it is right to re-introduce him straight back into the side.
Elsewhere, this struggling West Ham man was in superb form at the London Stadium this weekend.