West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo expressed that his team’s dominant 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday represented a “big step” towards securing their position in the Premier League, leaving Tottenham Hotspur in the relegation zone.
This win moved West Ham out of the drop zone for the first time since December, while their London rivals found themselves in the bottom three for the first time this season.
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West Ham faced a challenging path to survival earlier in the season, having suffered a home defeat to Nottingham Forest in January, which left them without a win in 10 matches and seven points adrift of safety. However, a turnaround with five victories in their last 11 outings, coupled with Tottenham’s decline, has significantly altered the relegation landscape.
“We are extremely happy,” Nuno stated. “Everyone here deserves a night like this, especially our fans. The atmosphere at the London Stadium was electric, even during the challenging moments of the match.”
“I understand there is still much work ahead. Today was a significant step for us, but nothing is guaranteed.”
Valentín Castellanos netted two quick goals within three minutes in the second half, following Konstantinos Mavropanos‘s opening goal just before halftime.
Mavropanos then capped off the scoring with an acrobatic volley from a corner kick seven minutes from time.
Wolves remained at the bottom of the league and are on the verge of certain relegation.
This result showcased West Ham’s resurgence under Nuno, contrasting sharply with their earlier loss to Wolves at Molineux, which marked one of their season’s lowest points.
“I believe our best results are still ahead of us,” Nuno added. “That encounter at Wolves was tough for everyone involved with the club. Today, we shifted the momentum.”
While Tottenham do have a game in hand over West Ham in their quest to stay up, they are facing the alarming possibility of being relegated for the first time since 1977.
This means new Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi will start his tenure away at Sunderland on Sunday, with his sights set on climbing above the relegation line.
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.