Premier League 2021/22: Why Pablo Fornals has become a vital part of David Moyes’ midfield at West Ham – scout report

Pablo Fornals initially took some time to settle into life in East London. After completing a move from Villareal to West Ham for €​​28 million in 2019, swapping La Liga for the Premier League, Fornals struggled to immediately find the form expected with such a price tag, and as a result, he found regular starting football a challenge to come by. However, the 25-year-old Spaniard has now truly adapted to the Premier League and has won plaudits among both fans and journalists for his tirelessly energetic performances in the West Ham midfield.

This, coupled with his skill and vision on the ball, as well as a versatility has made him a key component in the Hammers’ midfield. His performances have even led to a recall to the Spanish national team, with Fornals competing against both Kosovo and Georgia in World Cup qualification games.

This tactical analysis and scout report will highlight Fornals’ major qualities as a player, and provide an analysis on how he fits into West Ham’s tactics under David Moyes.

Positioning

His average positioning thus far this season can be seen from the heat map below, showing his touches from games in the Premier League as well as in the Carabao Cup and Europa League too. What we can see in this image is obviously a large number of touches on the left flank, and Fornals has predominantly played as a left-sided attacking midfielder but has also played centrally too. 

Fornals varies his positioning between the left-wing and the central channel, however, often looking to make late movements from one channel to the other. 

These most frequently come from him starting central, using the high positioning of left-back Aaron Cresswell to draw the opposition full-back slightly further forward, or at the very least occupy the opposition right-winger. If Cresswell doesn’t push forward then Fornals will happily rotate with midfield teammates, having them occupy the left flank whilst he sits inside. This pattern occurs in the image below.