Nuno Espirito Santo believes West Ham have demonstrated the resilience and momentum needed to avoid relegation after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Everton. Callum Wilson netted a stoppage-time winner, keeping the Hammers two points clear of Tottenham, who also secured a win against Wolves.
Nuno's Confidence in Survival Bid
"Nobody is making it easy. It's going to be a big fight, I think, until the end," said the West Ham manager. "But the good thing is that we don't give up. We're still on it. The momentum, especially here at the London Stadium, I think it's a huge factor in the Premier League."
Dramatic Turn of Events
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's late equaliser, cancelling out Tomas Soucek's header, initially seemed to swing the survival battle in Tottenham's favour after they took the lead at Wolves. That goal briefly dropped West Ham below Spurs and into the bottom three. However, substitute Wilson, who had scored eight goals in his previous seven appearances against Everton, struck two minutes into added time to secure a priceless victory.
Soucek's Contribution
Soucek proved invaluable in both penalty areas with two crucial clearances, the second from underneath the crossbar. His goal came from a Jarrod Bowen corner, a move reminiscent of David Moyes' tactics. Nuno acknowledged Moyes' legacy: "I think David left a legacy here at the club. He brought success, he brought trophies. And he did it with Jarrod, with Tomas and some more that are still here in the squad."
Moyes' Return
The defeat was a blow for Moyes, making his first return to the London Stadium since leaving two summers ago, on his 63rd birthday. The match marked his 750th as a Premier League manager, but Everton's European hopes suffered a setback. Moyes praised Soucek: "He's great, does great. He's done brilliant for West Ham. His worth has been enormous. Because of his goals, the type of boy he is, everything about him."
Controversial Decision
There was controversy when Mateus Fernandes grappled with Thierno Barry and swatted the ball away with his hand, but no penalty was awarded. The PGMOL stated it was deemed an accidental handling. Moyes expressed frustration: "It's not as if the ball comes onto his hand, his arm goes towards the ball. I think today's the first time I've heard the word 'accidental' being used."
Everton equalised shortly after when Vitalii Mykolenko crossed, James Tarkowski headed down, and Dewsbury-Hall volleyed home. But West Ham showed their resolve when Bowen knocked down El Hadji Malick Diouf's cross and Wilson tapped in the winner.
