Divine Mukasa proved decisive, netting a brace as West Ham edged past Wolves 4-2, finally earning their opening three points after a season that began with a drop to the Championship following last year’s relegation. The match also marked a rare defeat for Wolves, who, like West Ham, had been demoted from the Premier League in the previous campaign. Their new boss, Cesar Peixoto, suffered his first loss in charge as his side fell short of a potential climb to the top of the table.
The hosts enjoyed contributions from Jarrod Bowen and Konstantinos Mavropanos, while Wolves managed to reply through Marshall Munetsi and an own‑goal by Mavropanos, which cut the deficit but proved insufficient to overturn the result. The victory eased the mounting pressure on West Ham’s manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, especially on a night when potential investor Amanda Staveley, leading a consortium interested in acquiring a substantial share of the club, was present at the London Stadium. Early on, West Ham struggled to find rhythm. Their first chance fell to Raul Jimenez, who, after being found in space by Jackson Tchatchoua, struck a wildly off‑target effort that sailed over the bar.
Jimenez’s second attempt, a corner‑derived shot from the edge of the box, was more accurate; the ball bounced off the turf, looped over goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and struck the top of the crossbar, narrowly missing a goal. Shortly thereafter, Mateus Mane also saw his effort hit the bar after a cross from the left was partially deflected by full‑back Kyle Walker‑Peters, who managed just enough of a touch to alter the trajectory. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 33rd minute, contrary to the flow of the game.
Mukasa, a loanee from Manchester City, unleashed a powerful drive from beyond 20 yards. The ball struck the underside of the crossbar before ricocheting into the net, giving the home side a surprising lead.
West Ham’s defense looked transformed, with Marshall Munetsi forced to block a dangerous run from Wolves’ centre‑back Max Kilman at the goal line. Ten minutes later, a penalty was awarded after 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, turned the Greek defender, and fired 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, he received a pass from Bowen on the right, took a touch, and his shot clipped the boot of Nasser Djiga before looping over Sa for a second goal. Sa managed to parry a subsequent Bowen effort from a tight angle, but West Ham continued to press.
From the ensuing corner, Mavropanos rose to meet the delivery; his header struck the crossbar before the rebound fell to him again, and he hammered it home for the fourth goal, making it 4‑1. Wolves managed to pull one back in the 69th minute when Mavropanos, attempting to clear a cross from Jackson Tchatchoua aimed at substitute Jordan James, inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net.
The own‑goal reduced the deficit but did not change the overall narrative of the match. After the final whistle, Nuno Espirito Santo reflected on the performance: "We all know the win was much needed. The way we are trying to grow and improve, there were still mistakes today that we need to correct, but we were able to dominate at key moments.
The attacking actions were far more effective, which is the direction we want to head in. Conceding goals requires more focus, concentration and determination – there are many areas to work on." Speaking about Mukasa’s impact, Santo added: "I’m delighted not only with the goals but with how he played, the positions he took in midfield. He’s a young player with a lot of room to improve, but his contribution was fantastic. I value the goal, of course, but more importantly his positioning, distribution, support and defensive work.
If he can keep scoring, that’s a huge bonus." Wolves manager Cesar Peixoto, despite the loss, praised his side’s effort: "It wasn’t the result we wanted; we created several chances. Congratulations to West Ham – they scored more goals. Their first goal was spectacular, almost impossible to defend, and after that we were disorganised and gave away a penalty. The third goal felt a bit lucky, and the fourth came from a corner where our keeper was constantly blocked.
The two‑goal margin feels unfair. In our last game we won 4‑1, and nothing was perfect.
In this match nothing was entirely bad. When we went down 4‑1 we fought back to score one more.
The good thing is the team stayed organised until the end. It was an amazing effort, but we still have things to improve." The match also highlighted the broader context of West Ham’s season, as the club seeks to rebuild after relegation and attract new investment.
With Staveley’s consortium watching closely, the win provides a morale boost and a glimpse of the potential resurgence the team hopes to achieve under Santo’s guidance. Overall, the 4‑2 victory not only secured West Ham’s first three points but also showcased the emergence of young talent like Mukasa, the resilience of the squad, and the tactical adjustments that could shape their campaign in the Championship moving forward.