West Ham United have scored seven goals across two home victories, but Nuno Espírito Santo may be even more encouraged by what has happened in midfield.
The Hammers followed Tuesday’s chaotic 4-2 win over Wolves with a far more controlled 3-0 victory against Derby County.
Derby failed to register a shot on target, while West Ham created 11 attempts to their opponent’s one during the opening half alone. The Hammers had already accumulated 1.84 expected goals by the interval.
At the heart of that improvement were Arne Engels and Divine Mukasa.
Engels and Mukasa give West Ham the balance Nuno needed
West Ham’s problems during the opening weeks of the Championship season were not solely defensive.
Too often, Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos were left dealing with opponents running directly at the back line after West Ham lost possession further forward.
That made individual defensive errors look even worse.
Against Derby, the structure was considerably better.
Engels and Mukasa gave West Ham a midfield pairing capable of controlling possession without leaving huge spaces behind them.
Derby’s own account of the match describes West Ham enjoying a comfortable first half before the visitors gained more possession after the break, yet Nuno’s defence still held firm.
The difference was that Derby rarely managed to turn possession into genuine penetration.
Divine Mukasa provides the link West Ham were missing
Mukasa’s performance was different from his two-goal display against Wolves.
He did not need to decide the game himself.
Instead, the 19-year-old consistently helped connect midfield and attack.
One of the clearest examples came just before half-time when Mukasa exchanged passes with Taty Castellanos before the striker sent an effort narrowly wide. Derby specifically highlighted the combination in their official report.
We have already looked at why Mukasa is becoming extremely difficult for Nuno to leave out.
His value now goes beyond the two goals he scored against Wolves.
Mukasa gives West Ham someone comfortable receiving the ball centrally and immediately looking for a forward option.
For a player who came through the club’s youth system, his emergence also reinforces the pathway detailed in our West Ham Academy guide.
Arne Engels gives Nuno control
Engels complements that freedom.
The summer signing provides the physicality and positional discipline that allow Mukasa to play more progressively.
He also showed his attacking quality late in the Derby victory.
Engels delivered the ball from the right during the move which eventually ended with substitute Edvin Austbø scoring West Ham’s second goal.
That contribution came after another composed midfield display in which the Belgian repeatedly helped West Ham regain control whenever Derby attempted to increase the tempo.
West Ham’s current squad guide shows the options Nuno now possesses in midfield following a busy summer.
But right now, Engels and Mukasa look like the combination others have to displace.
Nuno finally has protection for his defence
Perhaps the most important consequence can be seen behind them.
Derby’s best moments were limited.
Oscar Fraulo was stopped by a well-timed Kilman challenge in the first half, while Lars-Jørgen Salvesen sent a late free-kick wide.
That was about it.
Nuno has already said West Ham are showing signs of improvement as the new-look squad spends more time working together.
The 3-0 Derby victory was probably the clearest evidence yet.
West Ham still possess the attacking quality to overwhelm Championship opponents.
Now they may finally have a midfield capable of ensuring the defence is not exposed every time that attack breaks down.
If Engels and Mukasa can maintain this balance, Nuno may have stumbled upon one of the most important partnerships in his side.
