With a 3-1 victory over Portsmouth at the London Stadium, West Ham officially kicked off their 2026/27 campaign. It was far from seamless. There were passages where the quality gap between the two sides was less obvious than it should have been, and Nuno Espirito Santo was back to his experimental ways, using Mohamadou Kanté on the left side of a 4-4-2 formation; as many questions as it answered, it still left some fans scratching their heads. A win is a win and advancing to the second round of the Carabao Cup is the right start.
Here is how they rated.
Mads Hermansen — 7
A composed, authoritative debut between the posts. Hermansen commanded his area confidently, dealt cleanly with crosses and looked exactly like a goalkeeper who has played top-flight football. The one time Portsmouth tested him seriously he was equal to it. Will be a significant upgrade on the uncertainty that plagued West Ham's goalkeeping situation last season. Good start.
Kyle Walker-Peters — 7
Jarrod Bowen forced an early save from the Portsmouth goalkeeper and Walker-Peters was a significant part of why. His overlapping runs and early balls into the box gave West Ham an immediate right-side threat. Defensively sound, aerially comfortable when required. One of the more settled performers in the side.
Konstantinos Mavropanos — 7
A statement performance from a player whose future at the club has now been settled. Mavropanos was dominant in the air, composed in possession and read the game with authority. Mavropanos made several interventions of quality in his end. Committed. Focused. Exactly what West Ham need from him.
Max Kilman — 7
Quietly excellent. Kilman is the kind of centre-back whose quality only becomes visible when you realise nothing is going wrong around him. Composed in possession, calm under pressure and never rattled by Portsmouth's direct play. His partnership with Mavropanos looks like it has genuine potential. Important that both men are committed to this project.
Oliver Scarles — 6
The young left-back had an uneven afternoon. Showed genuine quality going forward in the first half. His willingness to get beyond his winger created real problems for Portsmouth, but was exposed defensively on a couple of occasions in the second period when Portsmouth found more opportunities down his side. A performance with real promise and genuine rough edges. Exactly what you'd expect from a young player.
Jarrod Bowen — 8
The captain. The standard. Bowen played every minute of West Ham's relegation campaign, starting all 38 Premier League matches and contributing nine goals and 11 assists despite the team's struggles. Today he looked like a man rejuvenated. Sharper, more direct, more engaged than he often appeared last season. Forcing an early save, creating a good opportunity for Castellanos. His reading of spaces between the lines was a level above anything Portsmouth could deal with and he was rightly given a standing ovation when he made way for Ajala late on. A goal and an assist on the day.
Edson Álvarez — 7
The most interesting performance of the afternoon. Álvarez played as the deeper of the two central midfielders and produced exactly the kind of display that reopens the conversation about whether he can be a serious part of this campaign. Disciplined positionally, commanding in duels, and showed an unexpected comfort on the ball in tight areas. His willingness to play in the centre-back position was not needed today but his presence gave the entire defensive shape a solidity that West Ham lacked for much of last season. A proper response. He is going to be a bully if she stays in the Championship.
Mohamadou Kanté — 6
The most debated selection of Nuno's starting eleven. A midfielder deployed on the wing for the first time, a pragmatic solution to a squad that has genuine depth issues out wide while La Madrid's fitness remains uncertain. Kanté was honest and energetic rather than creative or threatening. He worked hard, tracked back diligently and never hid, but there were moments where the lack of natural wide craft was visible. The Solomon signing announced this morning will, assuming he passes his medical, make this experiment short-lived. Kanté did what was asked of him. His assist on the first Castellanos goal shows he's capable of so much more.
Lewis Orford — 6
A steady if unspectacular afternoon from the young central midfielder. Orford is technically capable and showed some nice touches in the first half but faded as the game progressed and Portsmouth grew into the match after the break. This was a Carabao Cup tie against Championship opposition, the real test of whether Orford can be trusted in the 46-game promotion grind begins next weekend at Burnley.
Pablo Felipe — 7
The Brazilian was one of the brighter performers in the final third, combining neatly with Castellanos and Bowen in the first half and showing the kind of movement and creativity that made West Ham move for him. A goal or an assist would have capped it perfectly, hopefully that will come. Looked a level above the Championship on today's evidence.
Valentín Castellanos — 8
Castellanos, a player whose future has been the subject of intense summer speculation, showed exactly why West Ham want to keep him. His pressing was relentless. Holding the ball up under pressure and provided the focal point a Championship striker needs to be. Some concerns from fans after average pre-season performances, but today's 2 goals should quell any questions of commitment.
Substitutes
Joël Veltman — 6: Came on for Castellanos in the second half and slotted in without fuss. Came close to an assist within the first minute of play. His versatility will be key this season.
Joshua Ajala — N/A: Came on late for Bowen. Too limited a time to assess fairly.
James Ward-Prowse — 7: Made the bench and came on to deliver set-pieces with his customary precision. Every time he is on the pitch with dead-ball situations available, he reminds you what he offers. His presence here suggests Nuno genuinely sees a role for him.
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