Manager saws draw was “painful” but showed his side are ready to avoid Championship drop
West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo was left “disappointed” after his side were denied all three points against Manchester United, but believes their performance against the Red Devils showed they can avoid the drop this season.
The Hammers went ahead in the 50th minute at the London Stadium after Tomas Soucek’s clever finish, and they looked set to claim an energising fourth win in five games, and against a team 14 places above them in the table no less.
But substitute Benjamin Sesko’s sweet strike in the 96th minute secured a draw for Michael Carrick’s side.
“Disappointed, all of us are to get this in the end,” said Nuno. “We had a good game. The boys worked hard, but it was not to be.
“It is a draw that gives us sadness, but the way we competed was really good. It is a mix of everything – the need that we have and the work from the boys deserved so much more.
“We should be proud, and this is the way we must compete in every game like this.
“We should keep the standards, I said to the boys, and their faces are of a job well done. They hurt, and it is painful.
“You look back to the game, and it is always the final moments that you think you almost got across the line, but then get a big punch in the stomach. It is painful.”
We share the points with Manchester United. pic.twitter.com/63QmnuCBYy
— West Ham United (@WestHam) February 10, 2026
West Ham are 18th in the table, but given their current form there is much hope that Nuno can succeed in a survival battle, at the expense of either Nottingham Forest or Tottenham, who are 17th and 16th respectively in the table.
“We showed we are here to fight, and believe, and keep working hard,” said Nuno. “We have been trying to fix our problems. You can see the improvement. This is what we need for our future.
“We could have killed the game. We had a couple of counterattacks, but it was not to be. We need to keep on going.”
