The never-say-die attitude shown in the closing stages against Leeds on Sunday must set the tone, as West Ham prepare for a crucial run-in, starting at home to Wolves on Friday night.
Nuno's Hammers have the opportunity to move two points above Tottenham, two days before their relegation rivals travel to Sunderland, and apply some pressure in a tense battle at the bottom.
A bouncing London Stadium witnessed two goals in injury time to force another 30 minutes, eventually leading to penalty heartbreak, preventing the East London side from reaching a first Wembley appearance since the 2012 Play-Off final. A despondent group of players now must motivate themselves for a clash with an improving Wolves side, who they comprehensively lost 3-0 against at Molineux back in January.
Moving forward with a tough test
"It's been a couple of difficult days." manager Nuno Espirito Santo told the press yesterday. "We had a lot of hope and belief to reach Wembley. It was disappointing, but we showed fight and heart, and now we have to move forward. Our major fight now starts on Friday."
A game seen by many as a 'guaranteed three points' earlier in the season will be far from easy, given today's form. Rob Edwards' side have lost just one of their last six games, a run that includes wins over Liverpool and Aston Villa, as well as a draw with table-topping Arsenal. Wolves themselves could have a big say in the relegation mix-up come the end of the season, with Leeds and Tottenham their next opposition after their Friday night trip to West Ham.
Nuno recognises the difficulty of the fixture.
"It's going to be a tough game. The first time we faced them it was probably one of the hardest moments for us as a group. That game was a long time ago. It was a disappointing performance, but we came through and I think we're in a much better place now. The moment is different now. The players are in a better place, so we're confident.
We're at home, which is a big advantage for us. You can see they're improving, but we'll be ready."
Fully fit
Speaking about team news, the Portuguese boss confirmed it was mostly positive after several first-teamers missed the FA Cup tie with Leeds. Crysencio Summerville is set to return after a short absence, while Konstantinos Mavropanos and Callum Wilson are also expected to be included.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is also back with the first team after helping to seal qualification for the 2026 World Cup with DR Congo in Mexico. Reports have suggested the club have filed a complaint to FIFA, after the full-back missed Sundays' match, instead remaining in the African country for a celebratory parade, as ordered by the president.
The Hammers claim Wan-Bissaka should have been released back to the club within 48 hours of their final match, as per FIFA regulations.
©️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/o2TSJjLl8R
— West Ham United (@WestHam) April 7, 2026
Nuno also defended Max Kilman, after the £40m 2024 signing was booed by sections of home supporters. The 28-year-old gave away a penalty, not for the first time this season, following a clumsy challenge to help put Leeds 2-0 up.
"I saw a good game for Max. There was the penalty, but I think he did well. He did a lot of good things, and I think he handled the situation well. I think the team showed a lot of togetherness, too, supporting him. Everyone goes through different moments, and it's about how you react. I think Max reacted well."
Togetherness for survival
Belief from the fans has remained throughout, despite the team winning just one of their last six league games, and still sitting in the bottom three. A real sense of togetherness does remain, at a time when things could have easily turned toxic given the on-going board protests.
The Leeds defeat must be a turning point for a seven game stretch, four of those being at home, that will determine which division the East London side will be playing in next season.
A look into what it might take to avoid relegation from the Premier League following another dramatic weekend in the race for survival 👀 pic.twitter.com/FZSYFQLRWV
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 23, 2026
"I truly believe that the fans understand the situation, and the need for them is a lot. Sunday was a clear example that we as a group don't give up, so I hope the fans support and back us on Friday.
We've been under pressure since the beginning. You can ask anyone, you are under constant scrutiny in the Premier League. The players are used to that, and they are ready."
It's important the players are together with the fans."
