Nuno Espirito Santo kept a measured tone when speaking to Sky Sports on Friday, reminding everyone that "we still have a big mission to accomplish, a hard job to do." His calm approach came after West Ham's emphatic 4-0 victory over Wolves, a win that lifted the Hammers out of the relegation zone and allowed them to stay clear of the bottom three despite Tottenham's draw with Brighton on Saturday. With that safety net in place, the team now turns its attention to the upcoming Monday Night Football clash against Crystal Palace. "Let's try to ignore the table and focus on what we have to do game by game," Nuno urged his players, a piece of advice that makes sense on a practical level. Yet West Ham supporters have every reason to feel optimistic about the progress their side has made.
The transformation over the past few months has been both dramatic and commendable. When the Hammers suffered a defeat to Nottingham Forest on 6 January, they were seven points adrift of safety and a full 13 points behind Tottenham. Since that low point, five wins in eleven league fixtures have propelled them back above the crucial safety line.
In many ways the squad feels like a new entity – a side that has been reshaped both on and off the pitch. The winter transfer window saw a significant overhaul. Players such as Lucas Paquetá, James Ward‑Prowse, Guido Rodríguez, Andriy Irvin, George Earty, Luis Guilherme and Niclas Füllkrug departed the club.
In their place arrived Axel Disasi, Taty Castellanos, Pablo Felip, Adama Traoré and Keiber Lamadrid. "We reduced the numbers in terms of players and rebalanced our squad in terms of positions," Nuno explained, adding that the changes were designed to suit the approach they wanted for the second half of the campaign. The shift in philosophy is evident when the statistics are examined.
From the start of the season until mid‑January, West Ham were ranked 17th for goals per game, 19th for big chances created and 16th for possession. Since that period they have willingly surrendered possession – now sitting at the bottom of the league in that metric – but have become far more potent in attack, climbing to sixth place for both goals per game and big chances created. The defensive side has also improved; the team has kept four clean sheets in their last eight Premier League matches, thanks in part to the return of goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and the steadying influence of loan signing Disasi. Set‑piece defending, previously a glaring weakness, has also seen improvement.
In the last eleven games the Hammers have conceded from set‑pieces only three times, all in a single encounter with Liverpool, whereas earlier in the season they had allowed twelve such goals in twenty‑one matches. Perhaps the most important factor, however, is the camaraderie that has developed within the squad. "If I can point to one particular aspect, I think everybody realised that we have to come together in the same objective," Nuno said.
"Football is a collective sport. Everybody is needed – the squad, the coaching staff, the club staff, the fans… We are getting closer together, helping each other to try and achieve what we want to achieve." That sense of unity was on full display in the FA Cup quarter‑final against Leeds United. West Ham found themselves 2-0 down as stoppage time approached in the second half, yet they managed to pull two goals back to force extra time and eventually a penalty shoot‑out.
Although they ultimately fell short, the comeback demonstrated the team's refusal to surrender. "To take it to extra‑time and then to penalties showed that we don't give up, that we cannot give up," Nuno reflected. "Not only words – we showed it in front of our fans.
We cannot allow ourselves to ever give up. Never give up." Captain Jarrod Bowen epitomised that fighting spirit. He struck the woodwork twice in the cup tie and saw his spot‑kick saved, but he responded by delivering two assists in the subsequent league demolition of Wolves.
"He's been amazing. Jarrod has been huge for us," Nuno praised. "He leads by example. The teammates trust him.
He's the club captain. It means a lot. He's taking on board this responsibility.
Jarrod doesn't stop for one minute. This is the main message that we want as a squad to see – no matter which situation we are in, we keep giving it, we keep insisting, we keep believing.
And Jarrod is the proof of that." As West Ham prepare to travel to Selhurst Park on Monday night, they do so with a renewed sense of purpose. The team understands the difficulty of their situation but also recognises the opportunity they have carved out through collective effort. "Every game is pressure, always pressure," Nuno acknowledged. "It's increased due to the situation that we are in and we come to this decisive moment of the season, so we expect the best of our players, realising that everything is going to be decided now." The Hammers' journey from the brink of relegation to a position of relative safety illustrates how strategic squad restructuring, tactical adaptation, and, above all, unity can transform a club's fortunes.
With the season entering its final stretch, the message from Nuno and his players is clear: they will continue to fight, support each other, and strive for the best possible outcome for West Ham United.