West Brom pile pressure on Nuno with comfortable 3-1 win at West Ham
West Brom turned in a clinical, composed performance to inflict a damaging 3-1 defeat on West Ham at the London Stadium, climbing into the Championship’s top four and turning the heat up further on Nuno Espírito Santo.
The visitors led after 20 minutes through Felix Horn Myhre’s close-range finish, only for Jarrod Bowen to equalise nine minutes later with a deflected effort. Jimmy-Jay Morgan restored Albion’s advantage early in the second half before Callum Styles sealed a fine away win with a fierce strike from the edge of the area.
Albion’s slick, measured football stood in sharp contrast to a hesitant West Ham display that left the promotion favourites six points off the automatic places and eighth in the table. Boos rang around the stadium at the final whistle as Nuno faced the growing discontent of the home support after a second consecutive home defeat in which his side have shipped six goals.
The tone was set early. Max Kilman’s scything foul on Ousmane Diakité earned an early yellow card and reflected the anxiety that has become familiar for the Hammers, who have fallen behind in nine of their previous 15 league games. West Ham created the first clear chance when Edvin Austbø’s darting run set up Mohamadou Kanté, whose shot was deflected over by Jayson Molumby. But the Baggies punished them with a move of admirable simplicity. Isaac Price’s pass carved open the defence, Morgan’s low centre found the unmarked Myhre, and the Norwegian midfielder finished from point-blank range.
Price should have made it 2-0 moments later but spooned wide from eight yards. The mood among the home fans was already turning toxic when Bowen intervened. The West Ham captain’s skimming low shot from an angle took a telling deflection off Styles and nestled in off the near post for his seventh goal of the season. It was not enough to silence the half-time boos.
Within three minutes of the restart Albion were back in front. Myhre cushioned Price’s left-wing cross into the path of Morgan, who was afforded the space to fire across Mads Hermansen from the corner of the six-yard box for his fourth of the campaign. West Ham finally applied some sustained pressure — Kilman’s header from a Bowen corner and Kyle Walker-Peters’ long-range effort both saved by Max O’Leary — but the visitors remained dangerous.
Walker-Peters limped off with a thigh injury and, with Nuno having used all five substitutes, Albion struck the decisive blow. Price’s corner was only half-cleared to Styles, lurking 20 yards out. The midfielder’s fierce, deflected shot left Hermansen stranded and the travelling support in raptures.
West Ham went through the motions of a late fightback but rarely threatened beyond a bicycle kick from substitute Valentín Castellanos that was comfortably held by O’Leary. Albion’s 3,000 fans celebrated a result that underlined their promotion credentials, while the London Stadium emptied to a chorus of disapproval. For Nuno, once manager of Black Country rivals Wolves, the heat is intensifying. For West Brom, this was a statement win delivered with style and steel.
