There were many things to be pleased about in West Ham’s 4-1 win against Ipswich Town yesterday, but one particular significant event appears to have flown under the radar.
That most rare of creatures known as “The Lesser Spotted Luis Guilherme” was witnessed by eagle-eyed Hammers fans running down the wing and even winning a free kick at the London Stadium. Incredible!
While many of us hailed the return to form of Mohammed Kudus and enjoyed Michail Antonio’s return to beastly ways, the £20m+ winger from Palmeiras was making his Hammers Premier League debut.
At 4-1 and coasting, the 18-year-old was introduced for Kudus, who left the pitch to a pat on the back and a half embrace from Loppy. . . a week is indeed a long time in football.
There wasn’t much to report about Guilherme beyond what I’ve already described, but it was good to see him play, and it was precisely the right move from Lopetegui. Too often in recent years, West Ham have wasted opportunities to blood a youngster when the game is dead and buried.
No doubt, this debut will mean a lot to Guilherme and his family, who relocated from the other side of the planet in July. Hopefully, we’ll see more of the player as the Hammers build up for an incredibly busy December schedule.