The West Ham United midfielder was superb against Manchester City on Sunday.
West Ham United may have lost to Premier League leaders Manchester City on Sunday, but the Hammers looked better than they have in months and the signs were promising that they can turn things around after all.
David Moyes has not enjoyed the best start to life at the London Stadium, yet it seems the hard work on the training ground is starting to pay off, with West Ham’s midfield particularly impressive against the Blues (which is something that could not be said for much of the campaign).
That was in no small part due to the presence and contribution of youngster Edimilson Fernandes, whose energy allowed West Ham to counter effectively and compete in the engine room against one of the best sides in Europe.
With Mark Noble absent, Fernandes proved what he can alongside Pedro Obiang and Cheikhou Kouyate, and it is difficult to see Moyes moving away from that trio if they all remain fit and available.
Fernandes has played a bit-part role for West Ham thus far, but that is surely about to change, raising more questions over the long-term future of Noble at the London Stadium.
When the Hammers skipper starts, he invariably slows the play down, preventing West Ham from counter-attacking effectively and often allowing a key area of the field to be overrun.
Fernandes is a different prospect entirely and it will be interesting to see how many more chances he gets in the weeks ahead.
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