Divine Mukasa proved decisive once again, netting a brace as West Ham United overcame Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-2, clinching their inaugural three points of the campaign following last season's drop to the Championship. The match, played at the London Stadium, marked a turning point for both clubs, each of which had suffered relegation from the Premier League the previous year.
While Wolves entered the game with hopes of climbing to the top of the table, they instead suffered their first defeat under newly appointed manager Cesar Peixoto. The hosts benefited from contributions across the pitch: Jarrod Bowen and Konstantinos Mavropanos added their names to the scoresheet, while a mis‑directed effort from Wolves' own defender resulted in an own‑goal that further tilted the balance in West Ham's favour. The victory also eased the mounting pressure on West Ham’s manager, Nuno Espírito Santo, especially as potential investor Amanda Staveley, leading a consortium interested in acquiring a significant stake in the club, watched from the stands. Early on, West Ham struggled to find rhythm.
Their first real chance fell to Raul Jiménez, who, after a clever pass from Jackson Tchatchoua, found himself in space inside the box but sent a wild shot wide of the target. Jiménez's second attempt, taken from a corner that drifted to the edge of the penalty area, was more precise; the ball rolled across the turf, leapt over goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and struck the top of the crossbar. Shortly thereafter, Mateus Mane, receiving a cross that had been partially cleared by Kyle Walker‑Peters, struck the bar as well, the full‑back’s deflection giving the ball just enough angle to beat the post. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 33rd minute, contrary to the flow of the game.
Mukasa, on loan from Manchester City, unleashed a powerful drive from beyond 20 yards. The ball arced high, struck the underside of the crossbar, and then ricocheted back into the net, giving West Ham a surprising lead. The goal was a catalyst, transforming the team’s demeanor; defender Marshall Munetsi was forced to block a subsequent attempt from Wolves' Max Kilman on the goal line, underscoring the heightened intensity. Four minutes later, a penalty was awarded after Wolves defender Andre lunged at Joel Piroe inside the box.
Bowen stepped up, sending goalkeeper José Sá the wrong way before calmly slotting the ball home, extending the lead to 2-0. Wolves responded quickly, however.
In the 43rd minute, Munetsi engaged in a one‑on‑one duel with Mavropanos, managing to turn the Greek defender and fire a low drive past Hermansen, narrowing the deficit to 2-1. The second half saw Mukasa double his tally in the 53rd minute. After receiving a pass from Bowen on the right flank, he took a shot that glanced off the boot of Nasser Djiga, looping over the goalkeeper and restoring a three‑goal cushion.
Shortly after, a Bowen effort from a tight angle was parried by Sá, but West Ham capitalised again in the 64th minute. A corner taken after the save found Mavropanos, whose header struck the crossbar before he pounced on the rebound and hammered it 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, reducing the margin to 4-2. Despite the concession, the visitors remained resilient, but the deficit proved too great to overcome.
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." Speaking about Mukasa, the manager 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 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." Cesar Peixoto, Wolves' coach, offered a candid assessment of 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 also featured a range of ancillary elements: fans were reminded to use Chrome for a more accessible video player, and promotional messages encouraged viewers to watch EFL games on their phones and to explore free Championship highlights. Additionally, a promotional campaign for a Super 6 competition offering a £250,000 prize was highlighted at the conclusion of the coverage. Overall, the 4‑2 victory not only granted West Ham their first league points of the season but also signalled a potential resurgence under Espírito Santo, while Wolves will need to regroup and address the defensive lapses that cost them dearly in a match that could have propelled them to the top of the Championship table.