West Ham are in danger.
A late 1-0 loss to London rivals Fulham leaves the Hammers at risk of being cut adrift in their battle to beat the drop. They failed to capitalise upon Nottingham Forest’s 2-1 loss to Manchester City in Saturday’s lunchtime clash. The east London side remain five points off safety as we near the midway stage of the Premier League season.
In this article, we’ll cover:
“I’m positive that things are going to turn around,” Nuno Espirito Santo said after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Fulham. The former Forest boss needs to hope the West Ham bubble hasn’t burst for good as they gear up for Tuesday’s welcome of Brighton. Fact is, the Hammers need to consider the possibility of relegation.
Raul Jimenez’s late goal at the weekend means West Ham are now winless in seven. They’ve lost their last three. With newly-promoted Leeds turning a corner under Daniel Farke, Nuno’s side need to start picking up points. The issue is – it’s hard to see where the results are going to come from.
Nuno’s struggling to implement deep-lying gameplan
In traditional Nuno fashion, West Ham are sitting deeper to soak up pressure with the hope of hitting opponents on the counter. Only Burnley (41.5%) have a lower possession average than the Hammers (41.8%). To their credit, they have proven adept at hitting teams on the counter.
Four counter-attacking goals is the fourth most in the Premier League this season. The issue, however, is that West Ham are failing to keep teams out. Jimenez’s late winner on Saturday was the 36th goal Nuno’s side have conceded this season. Only Wolves (39) have shipped more.
That’s hardly a surprise when you consider the no team is conceding more shots per game (15.4) in the Premier League this season. When it comes to sitting deep to ultimately hit teams on the counter, the idea is to minimise the pressure on the goal. This is hardly coming to fruition for the Hammers.
Admittedly, this was also the case for Nuno’s Forest last season, yet the Tricky Trees were able to call upon steadfast centre-back duo Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo to ensure to keep opposition attacks at bay. Forest, too, ranked top for clearances per game (31.1) in England’s top tier with the proactive pair so often in the right place at the right time.
Midfield failing to protect sub-par backline
Conversely, Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Konstantinos Mavropanos – West Ham’s first choice centre-back options – are a level below Milenkovic and Murillo. The dip in quality at the back has contributed to the lack of resolve. Their off-the-ball struggles, particularly in midfield, hasn’t helped matters either.
Only five teams are averaging fewer tackles per game than West Ham (15.7) in the 2025-26 Premier League. The five teams to have made fewer – Manchester City, Newcastle, Liverpool and Arsenal – rank fourth, seventh, first and second, respectively, for possession. They rank low for tackles per game, because they simply don’t have to make tackles.
What’s more, only Sunderland (239) have won possession in the midfield third fewer times than the capital side (274) in England’s top tier this term. West Ham place third bottom for ball recoveries (787). To put it bluntly – the midfield simply aren’t pulling their weight to prevent teams from readily chancing their luck against the Hammers.
Hammers on-ball shortcomings invite pressure on defence
And even when they do win possession, West Ham are unable to retain the ball. Yes, they have adopted a counter-attacking approach to sucker punch opponents. Yet, their inability to consistently string a pass together is proving a major hindrance. The Hammers boast the seventh lowest pass accuracy (79.8%) from the third fewest passes per game (370.6). No wonder they’re readily giving up chances and shipping two goals per game.
Going forward, too, West Ham are failing to take their chances. Goalscoring opportunities are proving few and far between for Nuno’s side. Jarrod Bowen is the club’s top scorer, and he’s scored just twice in his last 12 outings. Callum Wilson sits on four league goals this season, two of which came against Bournemouth in November. Luca Paqueta brings up the club’s top three scorers. The Brazilian, who reportedly wants out in January, has struck just three times. Just one of those has come in his last 13 league appearances.
An average of 7.1 chances created per game is among the fewest in the division. 10 shots per game ranks among the bottom five in the Premier League. Only Wolves (10), Everton and Nottingham Forest (both 18) have scored fewer goals than West Ham (19). Unsurprisingly, a 10% conversion rate is the fifth worst this season.
So, while Nuno is positive things will turn around for West Ham, the underlying numbers suggest otherwise. The Hammers struggle off the ball, and when they do win possession; look lost as to how to break teams down. Nuno needs to rectify these issues quickly, or else West Ham will drop back into the Championship.
