NUNO’S SECRET WEAPON: UNLEASH THIS “GOD-TIER” WEST HAM PHENOM AND WATCH PAQUETA EXPLODE BACK TO BRAZILIAN SUPERSTAR GLORY – YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
West Ham United’s season could hardly have begun worse.
The Hammers sit in the Premier League relegation zone, and despite Nuno Espírito Santo earning a point in his first game, three consecutive defeats have followed.
However, they have an opportunity to steady the ship when they host Newcastle United this weekend — a match that will see Lucas Paquetá face one of his closest friends, Bruno Guimarães.
Paquetá and Guimarães share a bond that goes beyond football. Speaking to the club’s website ahead of the game, Paquetá described his Brazilian teammate as “like a brother,” with their friendship forged during their time together at Lyon and the national team.
Between 2020 and 2022, they made 42 appearances for the French club, averaging two points per game.
Internationally, they’ve featured together 24 times for Brazil, combining for two goals and averaging 1.88 points per match.
It’s easy to imagine how much stronger West Ham might be with Bruno lining up alongside Paquetá.
While that remains a dream, the Hammers may already have someone who could form a similar partnership — Mateus Fernandes.
Although not Brazilian, the young midfielder shares several traits with the Newcastle star.
Like Guimarães, Fernandes is comfortable operating in central midfield or deeper roles, allowing Paquetá to focus on his creative duties.
Analyst Ben Mattinson previously labelled Fernandes “exceptional,” and data from FBref backs that up — ranking him among the most statistically similar midfielders to Guimarães in the Premier League last season.
Their likeness extends across attacking metrics such as non-penalty expected goals, shots, and passes into the box, as well as defensive areas like interceptions and aerial duels won per 90 minutes.
Though Fernandes still has much to prove, his similarity to Guimarães — and being six years younger — offers real promise.
With time and consistent game time under Nuno, Paquetá and Fernandes could well develop a chemistry reminiscent of Paquetá’s partnership with his close friend at Newcastle.
