On January 3rd, 2026, Wolverhampton Wanderers broke their Premier League duck with a resounding 3-0 victory over West Ham United at Molineux. The win, Wolverhampton's first of the season, was secured with goals from Jhon Arias, Hee-Chan Hwang, and Mateus Mane, heaping pressure on West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
The match began with a bang for the home side, with Jhon Arias finding the back of the net in just the fourth minute, converting a cross from Hee-Chan Hwang. Hwang doubled the lead from the penalty spot in the 31st minute after Mateus Mane was fouled by Soungoutou Magassa. Mane himself found the net in the 41st minute with a powerful strike from distance, marking his first Premier League goal. The teenager's goal sparked chants of disapproval from the away supporters, who were left in shock by their team's performance.
The victory was Wolves' first in the Premier League since April of the previous year, ending a long wait for a win. The home crowd, who had been patiently awaiting a victory, finally had something to cheer about. For West Ham, the defeat was a crushing blow, extending their winless run under Nuno to nine matches and leaving them four points adrift of safety.
Wolves head coach Rob Edwards was delighted with the performance, stating, "It's progression. It was a good performance, great to reward the fans with a win because they've been waiting a long time for that." He also praised his players, saying, "I'm really pleased for the players as well because they've been working hard. We've been improving and progressing and today was a good reward for all that hard work."
In contrast, West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo was left to apologise for his side's performance. "I have to apologise to the fans," he said. "What we showed today was not good enough." He added, "The way we started and the way we performed was very poor, it was embarrassing because I don't recall one day that I felt so bad on a football pitch like today."
The defeat has raised further questions about Nuno's future at the London club, with the pressure now on him to turn things around. West Ham faces a crucial match against Nottingham Forest at the London Stadium on Tuesday, with their Premier League survival hanging in the balance.
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