West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo was left rueing a missed opportunity to inflict more misery on Liverpool on an afternoon filled with emotion in East London.
News of Billy Bond’s passing hours before the game added an extra incentive - with the fans keen to see a performance that the club legend himself would have been proud of.
It is with deep sadness and the heaviest of hearts that West Ham United announces the passing this morning of legendary player, coach and manager, Billy Bonds MBE.
— West Ham United (@WestHam) November 30, 2025
Rest in peace Billy, our courageous, inspirational, lion-hearted leader.
West Ham’s record appearance holder played 799 times for the Hammers over 21 seasons, becoming a fan favourite for his passion on the pitch and gentlemanly approach off it.
Current captain Jarrod Bowen laid a shirt bearing Bonds’s name and his number four, in front of the stand named after the man himself in the London Stadium.
From one captain to another ❤️
— West Ham United (@WestHam) November 30, 2025
Jarrod Bowen pays respect to the late Billy Bonds, in front of the stand named after him. pic.twitter.com/cMIds59jY0
Forever a fans favourite
Nuno reflected on the 79-year-old’s passing, recognising exactly what he meant to the club.
“It was an emotional day for the whole club” he told whufc.com
“We tried to honour the memory of Billy Bonds - someone who means a lot to all of us at the Club. You could feel the mood was of sadness, and everyone has been affected by the news.
My thoughts are with his family, and the fans who had the chance to see him. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to meet him, but I’ve been told all about him, and about what he meant to everyone here.
People have told me about his desire, and he’s someone who’s always going to be remembered here, because he made almost 800 appearances for West Ham. That number is almost impossible to repeat.”
A tough afternoon
On the pitch, Arne Slot relieved some pressure on his position, as two second-half goals from Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo left the home side outside the bottom three by virtue of goals scored.
Despite West Ham failing to register a single shot on target all afternoon, their manager was happy with parts of the performance.
”I thought we started off well, and the first half was good.
We got in behind and we created spaces, but the accuracy of the final pass, cross or shot just wasn’t there.
We should have done better, but we were in control.”
Nuno gives a fair assessment of this afternoon’s game 🗣️
— West Ham United (@WestHam) November 30, 2025
Taking the positives
After a goalless first half, a clinical Liverpool took full advantage to put an end to West Ham’s three-game unbeaten run. Despite an eighth loss of the season, the former Nottingham Forest manager is looking at the positives.
“The moment we conceded in the second half, it was in a spell where we had good control of the ball.
It comes from a throw-in, and we should be more aggressive in the box. But, until the end, we kept fighting and we kept believing.
We had a good chance, and I have nothing to say about the effort or desire that the boys put into the game.”
Nuno was also coy regarding Lucas Paqueta’s needless red card, as the Brazilian international picked up two bookings within seconds of each other, both for dissent towards referee Darren England.
“On the red card, I need to speak to Lucas before I can make any kind of comment.”
West Ham’s number 10 will miss Thursday night's trip to an unpredictable Manchester United, a match at Old Trafford in which they won last season under Graham Potter.
A difficult run ahead
With games coming thick and fast during the festive month, the squad face some tricky upcoming tests as they aim to pull clear of the bottom three. After their trip to Manchester United, they also face away matches at Brighton and Manchester City, as well as hosting Aston Villa before Christmas.
“Today is part of our progress. We will try to reflect and improve on this game, and go for the next one. It’s a quick turnaround to the game on Thursday night and we have two games in a short period that will require a lot of effort from us.
We have to give a good answer, which I expect to happen.’
