No duels won and just 11 passes in 45 minutes: Nuno made a mistake starting 31yo ace vs QPR, he cost West Ham dearly

Tomas Soucek endured a difficult return from a three-month injury layoff during West Ham's 1-1 Championship draw against Queens Park Rangers at the London Stadium. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo substituted the midfielder at half-time after he conceded a penalty for a foul on Paul Smyth, which Nicolas Madsen converted for QPR. Soucek struggled for involvement, finishing his 45 minutes with just 11 completed passes and 15 touches.

West Ham Blog argues that Soucek should not have started due to his lack of match sharpness following his recovery from an ankle problem. After Pablo Felipe replaced Soucek at the break, Jarrod Bowen leveled the match for West Ham before later missing a penalty that would have sent the club to the top of the table.