Watch out Danny Dyer, Keira Knightley is coming for your crown as another West Ham United celebrity supporter enters the fray.
The actress with a vice-like grip on the period drama market knows her stuff, too.
And though Graham Potter would not be given the chance to prove he could bring about a solid mid-table finish – Keira Knightley seemed to have more belief in the former West Ham United boss than those in the boardroom as the water rose to neck-high levels – the confidence shown towards a handful of summer arrivals is finally being vindicated.
Mateus Fernandes has been ‘sensational’ since returning to Nuno Espirito Santo’s XI. The sky appears to be the limit for El Hadji Malick Diouf. And, as Nuno said after that 3-2 comeback victory over Burnley, Callum Wilson was the spark which lit the fuse as the Hammers ended a thirteen month-long wait for successive Premier League home wins.
How West Ham would love to play an Imitation Game and repeat those impressive recent performances away to Bournemouth on Sunday. Further Atonement following their worst start to a season in 52 years.
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty ImagesKeira Knightley hails Lucas Paqueta and backs West Ham United to avoid the drop
Who knows? A bit of Bend it like Bowen, and West Ham could even end the weekend outside of the relegation zone for the first time since beating Nuno’s Nottingham Forest at the end of August.
“A new central midfielder, a new left-back, a new centre-back [Igor Julio joined on loan from Brighton], a centre-forward, Callum Wilson, that was the free loan. We’ve got our top players,” Knightley, who first opened up on her love of West Ham during a 2014 interview with fellow Hammers fanatic Seth Mayers.
“[Lucas] Paqueta, [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka, [Crysencio] Summerville is fit again.”
Paqueta is suspended for that Bournemouth trip, much to Nuno’s frustration.
But with Crysencio Summerville starting to produce the performances the Hammers knew he was capable of when splashing out £30 million in the summer of 2024, Nuno will hope that a long-standing overreliance upon Jarrod Bowen and their Brazilian playmaker will soon be a thing of the past.
Knightley, ever the optimist it seems when it comes to West Ham, is confident that a solid mid-table finish may be on the cards. There are, after all, only two points separating the Hammers from Newcastle, and five between them and Everton.
“I’m going to be quietly confident and say we are going to finish 12th,” says the London-born thespian.
Nuno Espirito Santo rues Paqueta suspension ahead of AFC Bournemouth clash
Not quite Everest, but there is still a sizeable mountain to climb before the threat of relegation can be put aside.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon, Nuno fears that West Ham have an ‘impossible’ task replacing Lucas Paqueta. A revitalised Summerville may have something to say about that, though, as he seeks his first goal since October 2024.
Who should replace Lucas Paqueta in the number ten role for West Ham?
Nuno also indicated that Luis Guilherme could potentially have a part to play at Bournemouth. A rare opportunity, perhaps, for the seldom-seen Brazilian.
“[Paqueta is] irreplaceable, I would say. It is impossible to replace a player like Lucas,” Nuno said. “We have to be aware of what he means for us, what he gives us, his talent. A fantastic player. Irreplaceable.
“[But] we have to find solutions. [There is] still the session tomorrow. We have Mateus coming back [from Portugal Under-21 duty] so tomorrow we will look at the boys and decide who is travelling and who is playing.
“All the players that are here, believe me, we are trying to be very honest with them. We are trying to improve them individually, and then the players should understand that chances will come,” Nuno added when asked about Luis Guilherme.
“It is up to them to deliver, and the best way is to work hard in the training sessions. I can assure you that all the players are working hard. Then, it is the moment for a decision. All the players, Luis, Niclas [Fullkrug], all the players can be options for us, because it’s going to be necessary.
“We just have to look further ahead. We are going to be involved in a lot of games. It is the moment to start anticipating those levels of fitness, everything we can do because we are going to need them all.”