Despair and rancour stalk the concrete corridors of the place that still feels nothing like home for West Ham. Though hope is not yet extinguished. A second home win in succession for Nuno Espírito Santo’s team, with old faithful Tomas Soucek key in defeating a fellow relegation contender in Burnley.
Three points wrested from a contest low on proficiency may prove vital in the fight against the London Stadium staging Championship football next season. “It means everything,” said Nuno.
Once Soucek had scored the Hammers’ second, before his shot was spilled into fellow sub Kyle Walker-Peters’ path for the third, home fans were singing lustily. They had already made it known once again, and in no uncertain terms, what they think of those running the club. Following protests against Crystal Palace, the boycotting of the Brentford game, a sit-in against Newcastle, a pre-match march had been staged.
A banner declared: “15 years of denying West Ham United.” The entrance for club directors’ luxury cars was blocked off by thousands of protesters as black balloons floated and a coffin was carried. That West Ham had “sold our soul” by moving to the former Olympic stadium was the loudest chant.
Saturday’s victory is highly unlikely to dim dissatisfaction with co-owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Baroness Brady. Though hardly the first dissent of their stewardship, a critical mass is being reached. “We are giving small steps in our relationship with our fans,” said Nuno, one of football’s leading diplomats. “I think we are giving them something and they are returning a thousand times more.”
More positive signs: Freddie Potts, home-grown star of beating Newcastle, again exhibited the look of the archetypal West Ham midfielder before coming off injured after an hour: upright, strolling, capable of picking a pass, with bite in the tackle, as evidenced by an early challenge on Loum Tchaouna.
• Callum Wilson has scored seven goals in his last six Premier League games against Burnley. He has eight goals against the Clarets overall in the competition, only netting more against … West Ham (12).
• West Ham have conceded a league-high nine headed goals in the Premier League this season, already one more than they shipped in the whole of the 2024-25 campaign.
• Tomas Soucek scored his 38th Premier League goal for West Ham, the joint-most of all Czech players in the competition’s history, level with Patrik Berger, the former Liverpool forward. Opta
The Burnley manager, Scott Parker, was such a player for West Ham, the one-man team of their 2010-11 relegation season. Before this fixture, his side had taken – with 7.4 – the lowest ever average shots per Premier League game as yet recorded, and he may learn a lesson that West Ham’s goals came once he had gambled on taking the three points. “We’ve fallen short in moments of concentration,” Parker said. “This is a big boy league. I can always accept a loss. I can also accept conceding a goal but certain boxes need to be ticked.”
Despite nine efforts on goal and 56% of possession, his team headed back north empty-handed. Had Zian Flemming connected with Quilindschy Hartman’s cross, Burnley might have taken an earlier lead than they did. “We were exceptional, everything we wanted to be,” said Parker of the first half. He agonised that a “massive opportunity” had been squandered in the second half. “I thought the game was there, I felt really comfortable.”
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Flemming got to live twice by scoring, beating Max Kilman far too easily to nod in; Burnley’s shot-shyness is levelled out by a high conversion rate. Only then did West Ham lift themselves, Jarrod Bowen’s shot deflecting wide, Callum Wilson at last involved. After Crysencio Summerville skated into the box, the No 9 equalised on half-time.
Despite a taped Ray Winstone rallying cry in the concourses, home fans were slow to return to their seats after the break. Potts pulling up with a dead leg was a sad sight though it was Soucek who replaced him. “I would love to be starting but I do for the team whatever,” said the Czech. “Everyone is fighting.”
“I have played against West Ham many times and every time Tomas was a nightmare,” said Nuno. Souceck’s portfolio of crucial goals are almost all as untidy as his bundling home of a Lucas Paquetá shot, the Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka fumbling fatefully. “We’re not set up right, and we switched off,” said Parker, refusing to blame Dubravka.
Burnley’s previous poise had long departed as Walker-Peters wrapped up the points following Soucek’s driving run forward and grubber shot. Lancashire’s Clarets were dead level with West Ham for the final relegation spot in the table until Josh Cullen’s dying-seconds goal, another bundle home following another goalkeeping mistake, this time from Alphonse Areola.
