Divine Mukasa proved decisive, netting a brace as West Ham edged past Wolves 4-2, finally earning their inaugural three points after a campaign that began with a drop to the Championship following last season's relegation. The match also marked a rare defeat for Wolves, who, like West Ham, had been demoted from the Premier League the previous term.
Their new boss, Cesar Peixoto, witnessed his side lose for the first time under his stewardship. The hosts enjoyed contributions from Jarrod Bowen and defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, while Wolves' reply came through Marshall Munetsi and an unfortunate own‑goal from Mavropanos. The victory alleviated some of the pressure on West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo, especially as Amanda Staveley—leading a consortium interested in acquiring a substantial share of the club—watched the action from the London Stadium.
Early on, West Ham struggled to find rhythm. A promising chance fell to Raul Jiménez, who, after being found in space by Jackson Tchatchoua, struck wildly over the bar. His second effort, taken from a corner that drifted to the edge of the six‑yard box, was more accurate; the Mexican forward’s shot skidded across the turf, rose over goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, and rattled the underside of the cross‑bar. Shortly thereafter, Mateus Mane also clanged the bar, his attempt coming from the left side of the area after a cross from Kyle Walker‑Peters was only partially cleared.
Walker‑Peters managed a slight deflection that altered the ball’s trajectory just enough to keep the ball in play. The breakthrough arrived in the 33rd minute, contrary to the flow of the game. Mukasa, the Manchester City loanee, unleashed a powerful drive from beyond 20 yards.
The ball struck the underside of the cross‑bar before looping over the line, giving the home side a 1‑0 lead. West Ham’s defensive shape appeared transformed; Marshall Munetsi was forced to make a last‑ditch block on the line against a powerful header from Max Kilman. Ten minutes later, a penalty was awarded when Wolves defender Andre lunged at Joel Piroe inside the box.
Bowen stepped up, sending goalkeeper Jose Sa the wrong way and calmly slotting the spot‑kick home to double West Ham’s advantage. Wolves responded quickly, however.
In the 43rd minute, Munetsi chased down Mavropanos, turning the Greek defender and firing a low drive that beat Hermansen’s dive to the left, reducing the deficit to 2‑1. The second half saw Mukasa extend his tally.
In the 53rd minute, after receiving a precise pass from Bowen on the right flank, the teenager’s shot clipped the boot of Nasser Djiga and looped past a helpless Sa, making it 3‑1. Sa managed to parry a subsequent Bowen effort from a tight angle, but West Ham’s persistence paid off again in the 64th minute.
A corner won after the penalty was converted resulted in a header from Mavropanos; the ball struck the cross‑bar before rebounding back into the net, confirming the 4‑1 scoreline. Wolves managed to pull one back in the 69th minute when Mavropanos, attempting to thwart a Tchatchoua‑Jordan James combination, inadvertently redirected the ball into his own net, bringing the final tally to 4‑2.
Post‑match, Nuno Espírito Santo reflected on the performance: "We all know it was much‑needed, this win. The way we are trying to grow and to improve, there were mistakes again today that we need to correct but we were able to be dominant. The attacking actions today were much more effective and this is the direction we hope for the team. If we look at the goals we conceded, it requires more than anything focus, concentration and determination.
We must get there, there are a lot of things to work on." Regarding Mukasa’s display, Santo added, "I’m delighted, not only for the goals but the way he played, the positions he took in the middle of the park. He is a young player with a lot of things to improve but I’m delighted to have him.
I value a lot the goal as you can imagine but more than anything was his position, the way he distributed the ball, the way he supported and defended. And if he can score then fantastic." Wolves manager Cesar Peixoto offered his perspective: "It was not the result we wanted, we created a lot of chances to score. But congratulations to West Ham, they scored more goals. Their first goal was a great goal, a shot like that is impossible to defend, but for five minutes after that we were quite disorganised and conceded the penalty.
West Ham’s third goal was a little lucky. For the corners and the free‑kicks my goalkeeper was blocked all the time and for the fourth goal they score. It is an unfair result. Two goals difference is unfair.
The last game we won 4‑1 and nothing was 100 per cent good. In this game nothing was 100 per cent bad.
When we went 4‑1 down the team reacted to score one more. The good thing is that the team stayed organised and as a team to the end. It was an amazing effort from the players but we have to improve some things." The match also featured several ancillary notes for viewers: a reminder to use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player, a prompt to watch EFL games on mobile devices via Sky, and an invitation to view free Championship highlights.
Additionally, a promotional message encouraged fans to join the Super 6 competition for a chance to win £250,000, with free entry available.