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If West Ham United fans want an indication of what the Championship might look like under Nuno Espírito Santo, his 2017/18 season with Wolves offers a fascinating blueprint. And one statistic stands out above everything else. His side won 30 and lost just seven of their 46 league games, winning 99 points and scoring 82 goals in the process. But split those results by who scored first and the numbers become even more revealing. | Wolves scoring first in 17/18 | | | Games | 32 | | Wins | 29 | | Draws | 3 | | Defeats | 0 | Every single time Wolves scored first, they avoided defeat. Nuno's Wolves were not necessarily unstoppable in every game. They were, however, exceptionally effective once they established an advantage. Of the 32 games in which Wolves scored first, 29 ended in victory. The other three were draws against Bristol City, Norwich City and Hull City. In other words, score first under Nuno Espirito Santo and, at least during his Championship title season with Wolves, you didn't lose. That is an extraordinary level of consistency across a 46-game season. The warning sign, though, is conceding first. This is where West Ham fans should perhaps be more cautious. When Wolves didn't score first, their record changed dramatically... | Wolves conceding first in 17/18 | | | Games | 14 | | Wins | 1 | | Draws | 6 | | Defeats | 7 | So while scoring first produced a 90.6% win rate, failing to score first produced just one victory from 14 matches. That doesn't mean Nuno's teams cannot come from behind. They clearly can. But the Wolves numbers suggest that getting ahead and controlling the game was fundamental to his Championship formula. And that makes West Ham's opening game of the 2026/27 season particularly interesting. The Hammers led Burnley 2–0 but ultimately drew 2–2 after Zian Flemming's late double. It was only one game, but it exposed exactly the sort of issue that could cost points in the Championship. What should West Ham expect this season? The Championship isn't simply the Premier League with slightly weaker teams. West Ham are going to face teams who will treat playing the Hammers as one of the biggest fixtures of their season. They will encounter deep defensive blocks, physical battles, difficult away grounds and opponents who will be desperate to punish any lapse in concentration. Nuno has already experienced that environment and won it. His Wolves side stayed top from October onwards and eventually finished with 99 points, securing the Championship title. West Ham have the advantage of having the same manager who has already demonstrated that he knows how to navigate this division. The club have also retained Nuno despite relegation and are targeting an immediate return to the Premier League. But there is a huge caveat. West Ham cannot afford to become complacent when they take the lead, and they certainly cannot make a habit of conceding first. Nuno's Wolves statistics suggest that the first goal was hugely important. That's why, for West Ham, the biggest lesson from Nuno's Championship triumph isn't necessarily about possession, formations or individual players. It's about game management. Get ahead. Control the match. Don't give the opposition a way back in. Because if Nuno can recreate even a fraction of the consistency his Wolves team showed in 2017/18, West Ham should have a very strong chance of challenging for promotion and winning the title. But the Burnley game has already provided the first warning. In the Championship, getting ahead is one thing, but staying ahead is everything. Have your say! Do you think the Burnley draw was just a hiccup? Do you have faith in Nuno to replicate the success he had with Wolves? Have your say in the comments below for a chance to WIN a new West Ham shirt of your choice...