O’Neil Suffers More Hammers Woe

Two weeks after earning their eighth win of 2024, West Ham United picked up their ninth, after beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 in Stratford on Monday night.

Julen Lopetegui made two changes to the team that suffered the 3-1 defeat to Leicester City six days earlier, as Emerson Palmieri and Crysencio Summerville were restored to the starting line-up, while Vladimír Coufal and Danny Ings both dropped to the bench.

Youngster Luis Guilherme and striker Niclas Füllkrug were again part of the matchday squad. Max Kilman continued his ever present record in Premier League encounters this season, while Craig Dawson was amongst Gary O’Neill’s substitutes.

With the news that Michail Antonio was injured in a car accident over the weekend, all connected with West Ham wanted to put on a performance for him.

Given that this was a match contested between two teams showing inconsistent form so far this campaign, it was perhaps not surprising that it was a cagey first-half.

Both teams had chances but weren’t able to make any of their efforts count. The pressure started when visiting Captain Mario Lemina sent his shot high and wide, before João Gomes gave home goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański a test but the Pole was in the right place to keep the effort out. The former Arsenal and Swansea City stopper was worked again but did brilliantly to prevent Matheus Cunha’s near post attempt from beating him. Gomes then had a great chance to pile the pressure on the Hammers but he somehow failed to get the shot on target. That didn’t deter the visitors from trying to break the deadlock again but both Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos didn’t allow either Rayan Aït-Nouri, or Nélson Semedo a route to goal.

Although West Ham found a rhythm, the opposition defence were standing firm and it was only down to visiting stopper Sam Johnstone that they weren’t ahead.

Both Mohammed Kudus and Summerville went close but didn’t manage to get the ball past the former West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace man.

Mavropanos might have put his side in front but he slipped just as he was about to release the shot. Seconds later, Summerville headed Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross wide of the far post.

Referee John Brooks brought the half to a close and the supporters inside the stadium were still left wondering which way this match going to swing.

The last time that the Irons played on a Monday night, Tomáš Souček set them on their way to a 2-0 win at Newcastle United and he did the same here as he sent a looping header past Johnstone after meeting a set-piece from Captain Jarrod Bowen. There was a brief check but once it was cleared, the majority inside the stadium gave an almighty cheer.

It would have got even better for the home faithful six minutes later had Kudus not had his effort ruled out by VAR.

Lopetegui and his team could have done with that effort counting, as O’Neil’s side scored shortly after being denied a penalty when Gonçalo Guedes went down, following a foul by Palmieri. However, after VAR had intervened again, Brooks decided the challenge was just outside the box and there was no need for a look at the pitchside monitor.

Just after the hour mark, the hosts made their first change with Lucas Paquetá being introduced for Carlos Soler.

Wolves were determined not to give up and rather than wait to be given a chance to equalise, they fashioned a leveller themselves when Matt Doherty turned Aït-Nouri’s cross past Fabiański.

The men from the Black Country have a terrible record of conceding goals this season and just three minutes after getting back into the contest, they were behind again. Bowen produced a beautiful finish to put his team on course to preserve his team’s unbeaten home run that they have managed to hold since October 27.

The Irons Head-Coach decided to make a second change with seventeen minutes of normal time to play when he introduced Ings for Summerville.

West Ham were now firmly in control but were keen to hold onto what they had.

The hosts were given a tough test by their opponents in the closing stages but they remained resolute in defence and Fabiański was alert to deny Guedes and Semedo.

Tommy Doyle had earlier replaced Gomes and fortunately for the home side, the former Manchester City youngster fired wide.

O’Neill’s men kept pushing for an equaliser and thought they should have been awarded a penalty after substitute Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was upended by Mavropanos but both Brooks and the VAR officials decided that nothing should be given.

The referee was at the heart of the action again when Kudus was stopped from getting his name on the scoresheet, as he had a second goal ruled out as the linesman’s flag was raised.

Further changes were made by the hosts, as Guido Rodríguez came on for Kudus. Seconds later, a double change followed, as Jean-Clair Todibo and Aaron Cresswell were introduced in place of Edson Álvarez and Palmieri.

Bellegarde might have found an equaliser on two separate occasions before the end of the encounter but he wasted them both. Three points were finally secured and Lopetegui’s men now have a full week to prepare, as they are involved in back-to-back Monday night matches where they will try and get their away record back on track when they visit The Vitality Stadium and take on AFC Bournemouth.