Saviour Summerville is West Ham’s man of the moment

Crysencio Summerville was West Ham‘s saviour again.

The 25-year-old climbed off the bench to score the goal that beat Burton after the Hammers were given an FA Cup scare.

His 95th-minute winner was a sixth goal in seven games as the visitors needed extra time to beat their League One hosts.

It was the same in the third round with West Ham edging past QPR in extra time after Summerville had given them the lead.

Since then, goals to help beat Tottenham, Sunderland and Burnley have breathed fresh life into the Hammers’ Premier League survival bid.

“We know it was going to be difficult to come here. We dug in deep and they put pressure on us,” the forward told TNT. “For myself, when I come in I try to help the team and today was the day, so I’m happy.

“These games are open and with my one v one I just tried to go inside, and that’s what I do best. I am in a good space lately. After my injury, I am just happy to be back on the pitch and I try to show this week in, week out.”

In his final season at Leeds, Summerville scored 21 times, with Daniel Farke’s side losing to Southampton in the Championship play-off final.

It convinced West Ham to spend £25m in August 2024 but his debut season was wrecked by injury.

Summerville scored just once in 22 appearances before he was sidelined for seven months after surgery on a serious hamstring problem.

It was a natural slow process for him to find consistency and form – failing to score in his first 16 appearances this season.

But the Netherlands Under-21s international is now West Ham’s consistent match-winner as he eyes a World Cup place with his country this summer.

Team-mate Konstantinos Mavropanos told BBC Radio 5 Live: “We knew when we got him the player he is and now he is in top form, and he just has to keep going.

“All the lads in the last couple of weeks saw that we are improving and we want to do more than the first half of the season.

Summerville’s previous six goals came across a run of 56 club appearances across all competitions, five for Leeds and one for West Ham.

His form could not come at a better time with the Hammers third bottom of the Premier League and three points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.

They host Bournemouth on Saturday before going to Liverpool on 28 February with Summerville having rediscovered the form which convinced West Ham to spend big on him.

“He’s in a good moment, he is full of confidence, everything he does seems to go well so we need to take advantage of it,” said boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

“It’s confidence, all players know how it is. It’s all about confidence. He is in a good moment and he is working for the team. You cannot play in the Premier League if you don’t have self-confidence.”

Nuno refused to concede he should have brought Summerville on earlier than the 83rd minute but felt making 10 changes was the right decision for his team.

“Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you don’t but it’s what the team needs, more important than anything is the respect for the players who started the game,” he added.

“We knew Burton would come on strong, every throw-in and ever set-piece is a situation that requires maximum attention, and the players did well in that aspect.