West Ham has escaped the Premier League relegation zone for the first time since December, securing a decisive 4-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the London Stadium, which has now pushed Tottenham into the relegation zone.
Taty Castellanos scored two goals within two minutes midway through the second half, adding to Konstantinos Mavropanos‘s first-half header, which he followed with another volley in the closing moments of the match.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad overcame an initial bout of anxiety to decisively defeat the league’s bottom team, increasing the pressure on their North London rivals in a critical turn of events.
West Ham appeared destined for relegation following a home defeat to Nottingham Forest in January, which left them winless in ten matches and seven points off safety. However, with five wins in their last eleven games and Tottenham’s decline, the situation at the bottom of the table has dramatically shifted.
Despite a wasteful first half against Wolves, Mavropanos scored just before halftime from a Jarrod Bowen cross, lifting the home crowd’s spirits and setting the stage for Castellanos to secure his brace and lead West Ham toward safety.
This defeat ended Wolves’ brief resurgence after three unbeaten games, with relegation now a looming threat if they do not secure points in their upcoming match against Leeds.
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Crysencio Summerville squandered an excellent opportunity to open the scoring for West Ham when he received a pass from Mateus Fernandes but, leaning back, sent the shot high over the bar.
Good play from Pablo created a chance for Bowen, but the shot was weak and easily caught by José Sá.
West Ham’s struggles in front of goal and errors on the ball added to the mounting tension among their supporters.
El Hadji Malick Diouf provoked frustration in the stands when he carelessly gave the ball away in his own half, allowing Adam Armstrong a chance that went just over the bar.
Armstrong later had Wolves’ best opportunity of the half with a flicked header, which was securely caught by Mads Hermansen.
After multiple warnings, Wolves finally succumbed to West Ham’s pressure just before halftime. Following a corner, the ball was poorly cleared, and a subsequent cross from Bowen found Mavropanos, who scored with a well-placed header.
A brilliant low save from Sá denied Pablo a second goal before the break.
The second half began with a chaotic two-minute stretch where both teams struck the woodwork: Wolves from an Angel Gomes free kick and then Bowen from a dribble inside that hit the post.
Castellanos calmed the crowd with a fine finish into the corner after a creative back-heel assist from Pablo.
Wolves immediately gave the ball away from the kickoff, allowing Bowen to set up Castellanos for his second goal, which also went in off the post.
Mavropanos finished the scoring with a late volley, as West Ham maintained their momentum throughout the match.
PA contributed to this report.