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West Ham recorded their first Championship win of the season last night, a much-needed 4–2 victory against a Wolves team plenty of pundits have already crowned as title contenders. I could sense the relief rolling off the supporters sitting around me. But then came the line that stopped me dead: “That was the worst win I’ve ever seen.” It took a second to process, because for me the night was lit up by two outrageous finishes from Divine Mukasa and a handful of genuinely encouraging individual performances. Mukasa Changes The Game The real gripe, though, was obvious: thirty-plus minutes without a single shot, on or off target. After last weekend’s one lonely shot on target against Watford, that’s not a stat anyone wants to revisit. Mukasa’s opener came completely against the run of play, but once it went in, the whole dynamic flipped. We ended with six shots on target to Wolves’ three and an xG of 1.77. Wolves hogged 57% possession, but that’s hardly shocking. West Ham basically invited pressure, and conceded a second, five minutes after making it four. Classic Nuno game-management, stressful, and not for the faint-hearted. Still, Wolves will be one of the stronger sides in this division, so this felt bigger than just three points. It’s a morale booster, and with the Premier League and EFL window now shut, Nuno can finally focus on settling the two players still being linked with moves abroad — thanks to Turkey and Saudi dragging their windows out. With no chance of bringing in reinforcements, the club needs to take a firm stance. Keeping both Magassa and Álvarez will feel like signing two new players, you never know they may enjoy it, with an opportunity to win some silverware this season! Nuno Has Options Across The Squad Squad-wise, Nuno has cover across the pitch and will have to rotate heavily with the fixture pile-up looming. If Cornet stays, someone may also want to remind him that he can also play left-back, which gives him three options now following the loan signing of Adama Boiro! My only lingering concern, shared by plenty, is the negativity baked into his tactics. Sitting deep and surrendering territory is a disaster waiting to happen, we saw it for much of last season, and we already saw it at Turf Moor when a 2–0 lead evaporated into a single point. For now, though, I’m celebrating the win. Eyes forward. Derby County visit the London Stadium on Saturday for the first time, and the momentum is finally rolling – I hope!