Divine Mukasa proved decisive, netting a brace as West Ham overcame Wolves 4-2, finally earning their inaugural three points after a season that began with relegation to the Championship. The match also marked a rare setback for Wolves, who, like the Hammers, had slipped down from the Premier League the previous campaign; under new boss Cesar Peixoto they suffered their first defeat of the campaign. The scoring opened with Jarrod Bowen and Konstantinos Mavropanos finding the net for the home side, while Wolves responded through Marshall Munetsi and an own‑goal by Mavropanos that reduced the deficit. The victory lifted a considerable amount of pressure off West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo, especially as potential investor Amanda Staveley, leading a consortium interested in acquiring a substantial stake in the club, watched from the stands at the London Stadium.
Early on, West Ham struggled to create clear chances. A promising opportunity for Wolves came when Raul Jiménez, having been released into space by Jackson Tchatchoua, struck a wild effort that sailed well beyond the far post. Jiménez’s second attempt, taken from a corner that curled to the edge of the box, was more precise; his shot bounced off the turf, rose over goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and rattled the top of the cross‑bar. Shortly thereafter, Mateus Mane also forced a header onto the bar after a cross from Kyle Walker‑Peters was partially deflected, the full‑back managing only a slight touch that altered the trajectory.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 33rd minute, contrary to the flow of the game. Mukasa, the on‑loan midfielder from Manchester City, unleashed a powerful drive from just beyond the 20‑yard line.
The ball struck the underside of the cross‑bar before looping over the line, giving the hosts an unexpected lead. West Ham’s defence hardened, with Marshall Munetsi forced to make a last‑ditch block on the line against a powerful header from Wolves defender Max Kilman. Ten minutes later, a penalty was awarded when Wolves defender Andre lunged at Joel Piroe inside the box. Bowen calmly dispatched the spot‑kick, sending goalkeeper José Sa the wrong way and restoring the Hammers’ advantage.
Wolves fought back quickly; in the 43rd minute Munetsi chased down Mavropanos, turned the Greek defender and slotted a low drive past Hermansen’s outstretched hand, narrowing the gap to 2‑1. The second half saw Mukasa extend his tally in the 53rd minute.
After receiving a pass from Bowen on the right flank, the teenager took a shot that glanced off the boot of Nasser Djiga, looping over Sa for his second goal of the night. Sa managed to parry a subsequent Bowen effort from a tight angle, but West Ham’s persistence paid off in the 64th minute. From a corner, Mavropanos rose to meet the ball, his header ricocheting off the cross‑bar before he hammered the rebound home, making it 4‑1.
Wolves managed to pull one back in the 69th minute when Mavropanos, attempting to clear a cross from Jackson Tchatchoua that was aimed at substitute Jordan James, inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net. The own‑goal reduced the margin but did not alter the overall narrative of a dominant West Ham performance. After the final whistle, Nuno Espírito Santo praised his side’s resilience: "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." Speaking about Mukasa’s impact, 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, while disappointed, reflected on his side’s performance: "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 not only provided West Ham with three vital points but also signalled a potential turning point in a season that began in the shadows of relegation.
With a young talent like Mukasa making an immediate impact, and the backing of prospective investors watching closely, the Hammers may be poised to rebuild and challenge for higher positions in the Championship. Meanwhile, Wolves will need to regroup under Peixoto, addressing the defensive lapses that allowed four goals and seeking to translate their created chances into tangible results as the campaign progresses.