--- source: thedugout.football generated: 2026-09-08T21:41:16.127Z last_updated: 2026-09-06T07:00:00+00:00 data_provider: API-Football canonical: https://thedugout.football/clubs/derby-county/news/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVyYnl0ZWxlZ3JhcGguY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvZm9vdGJhbGwtbmV3cy9kZXJieS10YWxraW5nLXBvaW50cy13ZXN0LWhhbS0xMTE0NDQwNg --- # Derby's transfer steal, a brutal welcome, and why Patrick Agyemang offers hope - **Source:** - **Published:** 6 Sept - **Club:** Derby County - **Original URL:** https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derby-talking-points-west-ham-11144406 West Ham United made it back-to-back wins in the Championship as they overcame Derby County in a comfortable win at the London Stadium. After beating Wolves in midweek, the Hammers secured a 3-0 win, underlining why they are looking a good bet to instantly return to the Premier League with goals from Joel Piroe, Edvin Austbo and Mohamadou Kanté sealing the win. Facing the title favourites was always going to be a tough ask for Derby against a side blessed with five players who were playing Premier League football last season. Chief among them was Jarrod Bowen, who had committed his future to the club in the summer, and it was no surprise that he had a decisive contribution. He wasn't shut down quickly enough and his cross was met by Valentín Castellanos who headed back across goal and with Sondre Langas watching the flight of the ball, Joel Piroe gave him the slip to leave him with a tap-in. The hosts soon began to push for a second goal with Bowen being denied by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom while Dion Sanderson also made a super block at the near post. Zetterstrom also made a super save to thwart Konstantinos Mavropanos' header. Derby did find it hard to find some punch in the final third but they did have a strike at goal when Alex Mowatt thrashed a long-ranger but it was well off target. In the second half, a neat one-two between Ryan Hedges and Sam Szmodics saw the latter surge into the box, but just as he cut onto his left foot, he lost his balance. At the other end Manor Solomon struck a shot at Zetterstrom. Derby started to enjoy their best spell and Lars-Jorgen Salvesen went close with a free-kick and had also had a penalty shout turned down when Mavropanos appeared to handle. However, Edvin Austbo made the victory safe for the Hammers when he finished past Zetterstrom after Bowen saw a shot blocked. Mohamadou Kanté then made it three in stoppage time with an excellent finish from the edge of the box. In the end, this game panned out exactly how the bookmakers thought it would. West Ham are the favourites for the title and, on this evidence, will probably be favourites in every Championship game this season. Jarrod Bowen will probably win the player of the season in a squad that is blessed with some exceptional talent. For Derby to have got a result from this game, they needed to be exceptional and hope that West Ham had their feet sewn on back to front. Everything needed to be perfect, but unfortunately for Derby, that proved not to be the case. The first goal they conceded after seven minutes was a combination of allowing a £50m-rated player too much time to cross and Sondre Langås getting hypnotised by its flight, giving Joel Piroe the perfect opportunity to give him the slip. There were moments when Derby gave them a nudge, particularly in the second half, but a lack of cutting edge was a problem. There were complaints in some corners of social media that Derby were too defensive, but when they stepped their foot on the gas in the final stages, West Ham scored twice. The truth is that if they had played like that for 90 minutes, the game would probably have been over at half-time. And so this game didn't really teach us anything that we didn't already know. West Ham look a strong bet to win the title. Derby didn't have the required punch to give them a wobble in a team that is still striving for chemistry after six signings since the takeover collapsed back on August 10. But when all is said and done, games like this won't define the season It wasn't until the final knockings of transfer deadline day that David Ozoh was confirmed as a Derby player, but in life some things are worth waiting for. Eustace was forced to send him on probably earlier than he would have liked, given he has a three-game week to deal with, but it wasn't long before we saw the midfielder demanding the ball and gliding through midfield with the grace and power that made Derby so keen to bring him back. Even now, it's still hard to believe that Derby signed him for £4m because he has all the characteristics of a Premier League player. He's quick across the ground, he's comfortable in possession, and his physicality, combined with his athleticism, looks tailor-made for the top flight. He's such a good player to watch, and his performance here was like he had never been away. He's a class act and he's now Derby's for keeps. Welcome to the Championship Henrik Meister was thrown in for his debut following his arrival from Pisa on loan and it's safe to say that West Ham didn't roll out the welcome mat. The Danish striker faced Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavrapanos, who were playing in the Premier League last season, and they never gave him an inch. It was a brutal welcome to life in the second tier, where the speed and physicality of the game appeared to catch him by surprise. In many ways, it was reminiscent of Patrick Agyemang's start to life in a Derby shirt. Meister only has to look at him for hope given the American took a couple of months to get used to the level. But over time, he cracked the code of what the division was all about and finished the season with 10 goals. Meister has all of the physical attributes required to handle the league, and he won't often come up against a centre-back pairing of that calibre. It was a tough start, but there were some flashes of what he can bring to the team once he is fully accustomed to the division. Mohammed Fuseini was also given an introduction to life in the Championship, and there were glimpses of what he will bring following his deadline-day arrival. And that is pace. A lot of it. Will there be a quicker player in the Championship this season? It is difficult to imagine there will be many. Fuseini possesses genuinely elite pace, having previously been clocked at 23mph - a speed that puts him in the company of some of the fastest players in European football. One of Derby's biggest issues is having players who can stretch the game, but there were enough signs on Saturday that if you give him a yard, you're not going to catch him. He will need time to adjust, but it's the kind of pace Derby have so badly needed. Whether he proves to be a hit in the Championship remains to be seen, but it will be exciting to find out. Get the best Derby County news, analysis and more straight to your Inbox! To get it, it's a simple one-two punch.