West Ham United 4 (Mukasa 33, 53, Bowen pen 42, Mavropanos 64) Wolves 2 (Munetsi 44, Mavropanos OG 69)
Wolves were beaten for the first time this season, as West Ham United inflicted defeat on Cesar Peixoto’s men at the London Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Divine Mukasa struck twice for the Hammers either side of Jarrod Bowen’s penalty, before Konstantinos Mavropanos added a fourth midway through the second period. The visitors threatened a comeback on two separate occasions through a Marshall Munetsi strike and Mavropanos own goal, but they were both in vein as Nuno Espirito Santo’s men claimed all three points on deadline day.
The Old Gold, buoyed by three wins on the spin in all competitions, had the better of the early exchanges and threatened when space opened up for Fer Lopez, but the Spaniard saw his low right-footed shot saved by Mads Hermansen.
Wolves then struck the woodwork twice within the space of a few minutes as they piled the pressure on their hosts. A Mateus Mane corner was floated to Raul Jimenez who struck a volley into the ground and off the top of the crossbar. Soon after, Kyle Walker-Peters misjudged a Jackson Tchatchoua cross and allowed Mane to strike, like Jimenez, into the ground and off the bar with Hermansen beaten.
Despite the pressure, it was West Ham who broke the deadlock against the run of play when Mukasa let fly from 25 yards and watched his effort cannon in off the underside of the crossbar on 33 minutes.
The Hammers almost doubled their lead when Wolves failed to clear Bowen’s corner and Munetsi was in the right place to deny Max Kilman with a goal line clearance.
However, with half-time approaching, the Irons were given the opportunity to add to their advantage when Joel Piroe was fouled inside the area by Andre. Bowen stepped up and duly converted from 12 yards, sending Jose Sa the wrong way for two.
Wolves reacted and swiftly reduced the deficit to one when a deflected Jimenez flick found the path of Munetsi who turned Mavropanos inside and out before slotting into the bottom right corner.
Half-time | West Ham 2-1 Wolves
Mane and Lopez combined well early into the second period as the latter was slipped in behind and slightly wide, before rippling the side netting.
At the other end, West Ham regained their two-goal advantage when Mukasa got fortunate, as his strike took a wicked deflection off Nasser Djiga and looped over the backpedaling Sa.
It was four shortly after the hour when Mavropanos had two bites at the cherry from a corner – first heading back off the bar, before turning home the rebound via the woodwork.
Peixoto immediately made a double change with Tommy Doyle and Jordan James entering the field. And the latter’s pressure on Mavropanos proved vital as the defender steered into his own net from a Tchatchoua cross as Wolves pulled one back.
But despite plugging away for the final 20, the home side stood firm and held on for their first win of the campaign and condemned Wolves to their first defeat under Peixoto.
Full-time | West Ham 4-2 Wolves
West Ham | Hermansen, Walker-Peters (Veltman 56), Kilman, Mavropanos, Scarles, Engles, Mukasa (Lamadrid), Bowen, Solomon (Austbo 79), Pablo (Kante 69), Piroe (Taty 56).
Unused subs | Herrick, Lamadrid, Golambeckis, Mayers, Ajala.
Wolves | Sa, Tchatchoua, Djiga, Toti, H Bueno, Andre, Munetsi (Doyle 66), Lopez, Mane (Chirewa 80), Gomes (Armstrong 60), Jimenez (James 65).
Unused subs | Virginia, S Bueno, Traore, Lima, Krejci.
