Wolverhampton Wanderers finally broke their winless streak in spectacular fashion, delivering a 3-0 home victory over a dismal West Ham United to claim their first three points of the Premier League season. The result at Molineux piles immense pressure on Hammers manager Nuno Espírito Santo, whose side produced a woeful display.
A Dream Start and a Long-Awaited Lead
The match was barely four minutes old when Wolves signalled their intent. After a powerful run from Hwang Hee-chan, a clever combination with Mateus Mané set up Jhon Arias to slide home from close range. It was a landmark moment, giving Wolves their first home lead since 5 October and electrifying a crowd starved of success.
Facing opponents desperately out of form and missing creative linchpin Lucas Paquetá, Wolves grew in confidence. Their cause was helped by West Ham's generosity. Former Wolves captain Max Kilman's poor clearance allowed Mané to surge into the box, where he was fouled by Soungoutou Magassa. Hwang Hee-chan converted the resulting penalty, sending Molineux into raptures with chants of "We're going to win the league."
Mané's Moment of Magic Seals the Deal
The standout performer was 18-year-old Mateus Mané. The former Rochdale youngster, a fearless presence, capped a superb individual display by scoring Wolves' third. Cutting in from the left, he drove towards the box and unleashed a low, powerful shot from 18 yards into the corner for his first senior professional goal.
West Ham, devoid of ideas and confidence, managed just one off-target shot in the first half. Nuno's switch to a more attacking 3-4-3 formation at half-time yielded little. Jarrod Bowen was anonymous, and despite Wolves showing some nervousness in possession, the visitors offered no meaningful threat in the final third.
Repercussions and the Battle for Survival
This was a historic and humiliating defeat for West Ham, who became the first team to lose to Wolves this season at the 20th attempt. The victory doubles Wolves' points tally, offering genuine hope of avoiding the tag of the Premier League's worst-ever team, a record held by Derby County with 11 points.
For West Ham, the outlook is grim. The defeat leaves them four points from safety and increases the scrutiny on Nuno Espírito Santo, who was sacked by Wolves earlier in the campaign. With a critical home fixture against 17th-placed Nottingham Forest looming, this performance will have done nothing to calm fears at the London Stadium. Based on this evidence, West Ham have every reason to be afraid.
