Football | OneFootball

The Everton - West Ham match last Monday, September 29, was marked by the debut of Nuno Espírito Santo on the visitors' bench, but ended with the points being shared between both teams after a 1-1 draw in the sixth round of the Premier League.

The Portuguese coach had the help of Mateus Fernandes, a Sporting academy product, who started for the Hammers. However, it was the Toffees who took the lead, just 18 minutes into the game, through Michael Keane, assisted by James Garner. The equalizer only came in the second half, at the 65th minute, courtesy of Jarrod Bowen.

NES's first game was also notable for an absence that drew attention on the team sheet: James Ward-Prowse. The player was left out by the coach, with whom he had already worked at Nottingham Forest, despite having become a regular starter for West Ham.

In 2024/25, Mateus Fernandes – valued at 15 million euros – made 42 appearances, scored three goals, and provided six assists for Southampton, and was voted player of the year for the ‘Saints’ by the English club’s fans. Moreover, the midfielder trained at Sporting caught the attention of several Premier League clubs.

Having completed most of his development at the Alcochete Academy, the midfielder played 10 matches for the Sporting first team between 2022/23 and 2024/25, during which he scored one goal and provided one assist. In the summer of 2024, the player moved to Southampton for 15 million euros.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.