Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos marked his West Ham debut in style by scoring his first goal for the club and sending the Hammers into the FA Cup fourth round with an extra-time win over Queens Park Rangers.
The Argentine striker, signed from Lazio earlier in the week, nodded in a pinpoint cross from Crysencio Summerville to secure West Ham’s first victory since early November.
While the result eased some of the pressure on Nuno Espirito Santo, the overall performance did little to suggest an immediate turnaround in their Premier League relegation battle.
West Ham made a sluggish start and, despite Summerville firing them ahead deep into first-half stoppage time, they lost momentum after the break.
QPR, buoyed by a noisy travelling support of around 9,000, grew into the contest and deservedly drew level when Richard Kone glanced home Karamoko Dembele’s cross.
The tie drifted into extra time, where West Ham finally found the decisive moment.
Summerville again proved the catalyst, delivering the cross that Castellanos converted to end QPR’s resistance.
The victory spares West Ham a third straight FA Cup third-round exit and offers a timely lift for Espirito Santo, whose position had been under scrutiny in the build-up.
Attention now turns to a crucial Premier League clash with Tottenham next weekend.
This was not a performance brimming with confidence or fluency, but it was enough to halt the slide for a West Ham side sitting seven points from safety in the league.
Castellanos’ name will dominate the headlines, but Summerville was the driving force.
West Ham failed to register a shot in the opening half-hour until the winger tested QPR goalkeeper Joe Walsh, before breaking the deadlock with a powerful finish just before the interval.
After QPR’s equaliser, the visitors’ fans mocked the hosts with chants of “Premier League, you’re having a laugh”, yet West Ham responded with renewed intent.
Summerville continued to probe, forcing Walsh into saves and creating the space that eventually led to Castellanos’ match-winning header.
It was far from convincing, but for West Ham and their new striker, it was a much-needed step in the right direction.
