MATCH FACTS BASIC RAUL ...and it’s all pointing DOWN for Hammers
THE only bubble West Ham want to be in at the end of July is the one belonging to the Premier League.
But the threat of relegation was echoing all the louder around an empty London Stadium after the Hammers were sent spinning to their eighth home defeat of the campaign.
Wolves hitman Raul Jimenez struck the crushing blow with 17 minutes to go, before substitute Pedro Neto wrapped up victory with a sensational volley.
If West Ham are deep in the mire,
■ Wolves have registered consecutive away league wins at West Ham for the first time ever.
■ Wolves manager Nuno Espirito it is the complete reverse for Nuno Espirito Santo’s troops.
They have picked up exactly where they left off back in March – in fine form and chasing down a possible top-four finish.
Wolves, still in the Europa League, are now level with fifth-place Manchester United on 46 points.
On this evidence, they cannot be discounted from going even higher.
If there was one thing the first two days of Project Restart had taught us, in a surreal era of crowd-free grounds, it was that those sides who want it most – and have the stamina and heart to go for it – will hit the ground running.
Teams have needed to forget any
Santo has won all four of his meetings with West Ham as a boss, his best
100 per cent record against any opponent in league competition. idea of these games being low-key or friendly, with players able to go through the motions and ease themselves back in.
No. Start the Second Coming fast and the chances of snatching three points are vastly improved.
Manchester City and Southampton had been shining examples.
So the big question here was who would take the bull by the horns?
Hammers boss David Moyes had claimed that prior to the 100-day suspension of the campaign, his strugglers had actually been in decent shape.
Really? Maybe performances were improving, but five points from a
■ West Ham have last 10 Premier Lea ■ Wolves are unb Premier League m possible 27 since January was simply dreadful. Put it this way, that sort of return over the final nine games would not keep them alive.
Wolves, on the other hand, no matter where they go, no matter the situation, adapt, survive and thrive.
Little reason to suspect a visit to an echoing east London would throw them off track.
Certainly, not during the opening exchanges when the Hammers barely got out their own half. Guess that is one way to cope with the Wolves counter-attack threat.
Yet, when they finally broke free of the self-imposed lockdown, the hosts nearly scored with their first attack. Indeed, they should have. It was one o Pablo only just
Mo piled Cono
De visit stop Diog
By show Jime
An disap Nun light