West Ham United

George Booth
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed that all of West Ham's players seemed "OK" to face Brentford despite some "small knocks" in training.

• The Portuguese head coach said his manager of the month nomination was a "club nomination" as the Hammers have picked up seven points in the Premier League from three games in April. "I think the results have helped the atmosphere a lot. No matter what, we have to stick together, we have been through tough moments. We have been able to slowly change," added Nuno.

• On Brentford: "All of the games in the Premier League are intense. No matter what you are fighting for. It is going to be tough and we are preparing ourselves for Brentford."

• Nuno said the Hammers are "confident" in restricting the Bees' set-piece goal threat but expects Keith Andrews' side to "cause a lot of problems". "I think we can take examples of the way Brentford do things - they're very intense and very physical," added Nuno.

• On Callum Wilson: "It is very difficult and sometimes very unfair that we cannot put every player to start the game. Callum is one of the players that should deserve more [minutes]. He is giving back 1,000 times more. He has been getting goals which have been points for us, which is so crucial."

• On watching Tottenham's Sunday fixture against Aston Villa (19:00 BST kick-off): "Everyone is free to do whatever they want. Me, for sure, I am going to watch the game. Some players will watch the game. The priority is what you do."

• On the Hammers appointing Karim Virani as the club's interim chief executive officer: "I was with him today, the message between us was clear. Let's do everything we can to help the team and accomplish our main goal."

Listen to full match commentary of Brentford v West Ham on BBC Radio 5 Live at 15:00 BST on Saturday

Got a question about West Ham? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham United have confirmed the appointment of Karim Virani as the club's interim chief executive officer.

The decision comes after Baroness Karren Brady stepped down from her position as vice-chair after 16 years of service last week, with the Hammers' still fighting to avoid top-flight relegation this season.

It will be Virani's second spell at the club, having previously led their digital, marketing and commercial operations between 2015 and 2020.

He will also be leaving his role as a board member at non-league club Hashtag United, having accepted the role after spending two years as Rangers' chief commercial officer.

In a club statement, Virani said: "I am proud and honoured to be returning to West Ham United, a club I have a deep affinity and admiration for.

"This is a massive football club with incredibly loyal and passionate supporters, a hugely talented and dedicated group of players and coaches, a proud and unique heritage and an ambition to be as successful as possible.

"I am determined to do everything I can to help the club achieve our objectives, with the absolute priority and focus of everyone here right now on supporting Nuno Espirito Santo and his players as they look to finish the season positively.

"We have a mission to achieve between now and the end of the season - and nothing will distract us from that.

"This club is built on working-class values of hard work, honesty, commitment and togetherness. Those values must continue to be the bedrock of everything we do in the coming weeks and beyond."

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

There is a huge amount to be said for how desperation can affect teams in a positive way.

Spurs, Nottingham Forest and West Ham each won in the Premier League this weekend. You will search long and hard to find a weekend when that happened this season as they have all struggled to fight clear of relegation.

It is the main reason why predictions are almost impossible at this time of the season. Teams and players cannot be at 100% for every game, but when desperation kicks in, you will get every ounce of effort, even if you can lose some calmness and composure as a result.

Forest and West Ham have been in this mindset for a while now, but it is only now that Spurs have finally woken up and smelled the very bitter coffee.

It was however one of the best 10-minute spells in the league this season when Spurs scored in the 82nd minute to grab two extra points against Wolves. Back in London, West Ham conceded a goal to Everton in the 88th minute, seemingly dropping two of the three points they were holding.

A four-point swing in six minutes was huge at the bottom of the table. But just a few minutes later, West Ham struck through Callum Wilson to grab those two points back again.

In these days of updates live on your phone and all modern technology it was radio gold on BBC 5 Live.

I have listened back to Ian Dennis as he reported on it all happening live and it reminded me why football, even without pictures, can be the best entertainment imaginable. The good news is it is all very likely to happen again and again before the season ends.

Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter

Holly Turbutt
Fan contributor

West Ham have what it takes to stay up and it is all a battle of mentality between us and Spurs. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but I'm fully backing the fact that we can do this.

We've got four games remaining, we are two points clear of the drop zone and we just need to focus on getting every point possible.

Our game against Everton showed how much it really means to us all. In the 88th minute, everything seemed lost. We were drawing 1-1, but we showed we have the ability to find a goal from somewhere and the mindset to never call it quits - and that's what I think could keep us in the Premier League.

But the question is: who can take their most recent win and use that for momentum? Because we know Spurs' win over Wolves is something they haven't had in a while and it could give them a little bit of a boost. But West Ham also got a win, we are in better form and it is time to put this to bed.

There was a point when it seemed almost certain West Ham could not reach the 40-point mark and now that is a possibility, with us being four points from what you would typically see as 'safety'.

So one win for us and a loss for Spurs would leave a lot of catching up for them to do, and put us in a far more pleasant situation. So a win away at Brentford would go a very long way to settling some nerves.

We know from our second half of the season that we are one of the more in-form teams, which is ironic given the start of the campaign. But the question remains: can we pull off one enormous comeback to stay in the Premier League?

But, given the atmosphere at the Everton game and the belief these players have, I'm committing to saying West Ham can do it and stay up. Come on, you Irons!

Find more from Holly Turbutt at West Ham Network, external

In 26 days, every Premier League club will be in action as they take to the field for one last time in the 2025-26 Premier League season.

Pressure, points and the unknown make the upcoming games tantalising for most neutral supporters.

Maybe less so if you're a Tottenham or West Ham fan.

As it stands, Tottenham sit within the relegation zone, two points from safety with West Ham in their sights.

On the Monday Night Club, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said: "You look at Spurs and think, well, you have beaten Wolves. They are the team in serious trouble. What they have in their favour is that their goal difference is better than West Ham's."

The Hammers have gained seven points in their last three league games, in comparison to Spurs' four.

"Since the turn of the year, they seem to have a bit of backbone and a bit of spine and a threat going forward. Tottenham messed up with the Igor Tudor appointment – that was the killer for them," added Sutton.

Former Lionesses captain, Steph Houghton said Nuno Espirito Santo's side have more "confidence" in comparison of Roberto de Zerbi's team.

"West Ham have a bit more personality and a bit more fight," she said.

"Jarrod Bowen, the skipper, has got that bit of quality and with Tottenham's injuries, they are going to miss that quality."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between West Ham and Everton.

Here are some of your comments:

West Ham fans

Gary: What a tense game for the West Ham fans! At times we we brilliant in defence and attack but still give the ball away far too much. Keep fighting!

Bubba: Catenaccio just does not work in the modern Premier League. We should not have gone into defensive mode at 80 minutes. That tactical shift almost undid a fantastic effort from the team. On the other hand, we won and, if I am such a good manager, why am I not standing on the touchline? So good on you, Nuno!

Tricky Tev: Still looked like we struggle to hold on to a lead. We need Nuno to be more decisive in his substitutions and for us not to play too deep. Some standout individual performances again, however. Soucek looked fresher and added an extra dimension. Mavrapanos (who I have long been critical of) and Disasi have been solid for the past six games or so. Let's hope that Brentford are 'on the beach' for our next game.

John: The players got that result, not Nuno. He was far too negative and their equaliser was always coming. Sat back far too deep. If we survive then it's the players who deserve the credit not this negative Nelly. Come on, you Irons.

Everton fans

Jameson: Incredibly frustrating performance. McNeil should have been dropped after his mistake and poor performance last game, because he had yet another poor game. Barry was hopeless. O'Brien adds nothing. Even when our better players dragged us back into the game the team was not good enough to deserve any points. Another missed opportunity showing our lack of quality and bravery against a nervous and poor West Ham - with the exception of Summerville, who was top class. Oh and VAR - are you joking? Clearly punches the ball out of play and not even an on-field review.

Marko: It seems the squads capable of playing in European competitions are filtering through now. For Everton, there are huge signs of improvement but too much reliance on that talented few. We need more talent - clearly. A miracle needed to qualify now methinks.

Brian: Just coming to terms with the disappointment of last week and then knocked again. There's just not enough steel, skill and strength to Everton's squad to expect a European place. Better than fighting relegation, but that's about it.

Mark: I need someone to explain why reaching around a player to slap the ball out of play is deemed not to be a penalty. VAR is broken.

Chris Wise
Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

If West Ham stay up this season, they'll likely point to Saturday's match-winning goal from Callum Wilson and say 'that was our moment.'

I was in the stadium, and the noise when the ball went in was really quite something. Most clubs in West Ham's current predicament probably don't find a way to win that game. Not just because of their league position, but having conceded an equaliser so late on as well. For those with less spirit, there would have been no coming back from that. But clearly, we're talking about a different West Ham team now.

Jarrod Bowen produced another two assists in what is yet another highly productive season. It doesn't seem to matter where the Hammers are in the table, his goal contributions are consistently magnificent.

I really enjoyed his assist for Wilson's winner. Perhaps it was because it wasn't your typical Bowen assist, but his tenacity and bravery to reach the ball was quite something, and then to have the awareness of Wilson's position and the guile to find him with his header was just brilliant.

The outcome of the relegation battle is so tough to call. But West Ham offered another gutsy display which will only cement the internal belief that it isn't going to be them heading to the Championship.

Match of the Day pundits Steph Houghton and Martin Keown believe West Ham's Matheus Fernandes was "lucky" to escape giving away a penalty in the Hammers' 2-1 win over Everton.

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer

Pundits Martin Keown and Steph Houghton join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• West Ham 2-1 Everton

• Wolves 0-1 Tottenham

• Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo speaking to Match of the Day: "We knew it was going to be tough until the end. It was important we keep believing, fighting 'til the last minute. That is something we have in our character and that is positive for us."

On matchwinner Callum Wilson: "Callum is giving us huge moments. We are delighted. Fantastic, what can I say? We have all of the squad available. It [his selection up front] is a good headache to have."

On the remainder of the relegation battle: "It is going to be until the end - keep fighting, keep believing. Tough one but we are in our path."

West Ham goalscorer Callum Wilson speaking to BBC Sport: "Over the moon with the three points first and foremost, and I managed to pop up with the winning goal.

"The atmosphere was electric. I think the fans and the players have really come together in this period and it has stood us in good stead."

On the relegation battle: "We're the ones in the driving seat at the moment and if we take care of our own results, it should stand us in good stead come the end of the season.

"When the goal went in it was a feeling of frustration, but when the eight minutes of added time went up I wanted to go and get that winning goal.

"The lads are buzzing. You do ultimately look at other results, we knew they [Tottenham] were playing a game in which they were the favourites, so we had to do our job."

Did you know?

• West Ham United remain unbeaten in each of their last six Premier League home games (won three, drawn three), their best run at the London Stadium since another six-game spell between November 2023 and February 2024.

• West Ham United's Callum Wilson has scored nine goals in his last eight Premier League appearances against Everton, and since the 2019-20 campaign, he has scored the most top-flight goals against the Toffees (nine).

• Only Bruno Fernandes (11) has recorded more Premier League assists in 2026 than West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen (nine), who now has 10 assists for Tomás Soucek, the first Hammer to assist a teammate 10 times in the competition.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on West Ham's performance

What did you make of Everton's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

West Ham are unchanged for the third successive game, as Tomas Soucek makes his 200th Premier League start.

West Ham XI: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf, Fernandes, Soucek, Bowen, Summerville, Pablo, Taty.

Subs: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Scarles, Todibo, Potts, Magassa, Kanté, Adama, Wilson

There are two changes for Everton as Thierno Barry and Michael Keane come in.

They come in for Beto (concussion) and Jarrad Branthwaite, who is out for the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury.

Everton XI: Pickford, O'Brien, Tarkowski (c), Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Gana, McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Barry.

Subs: Travers, Patterson, George, Dibling, Coleman, Alcaraz, Rohl, Iroegbunam, Armstrong

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Fulham v Aston Villa (12:30)

• Liverpool v Crystal Palace

• West Ham v Everton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Wolves v Tottenham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Arsenal v Newcastle (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also watch, listen a follow live text of the FA Cup semi-final between Man City and Southampton here (kick-off 17:15)

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play West Ham v Everton" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Newcastle", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

What a great game this will be, with Everton boss David Moyes going back to his old club.

We know how big a win would be for West Ham in their relegation fight but I was impressed by Everton against Liverpool, especially Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's performance.

I thought the Hammers' point at Palace last time out was a decent result but the pressure is still on them to win this one at home.

I am expecting West Ham to play with the kind of intensity that is required but Everton can be a tough nut to crack.

It finished 1-1 when these two sides met earlier in the season and this smells of another draw to me.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Prudent Nsengiyumva
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham United host Everton on Saturday (15:00 BST) with the margins tightening in their battle to stay in the Premier League. Everton arrive with encouragement drawn from a strong away record as they chase European qualification.

Can Nuno guide the Hammers to safety?

Football fortunes can turn quickly. Fewer than three years ago, West Ham were celebrating a first major trophy in 43 years after beating Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final in Prague.

Now, anxiety has replaced optimism as West Ham fight to preserve their top flight status. Nuno Espirito Santo's side earned a valuable point in Monday's goalless draw at Crystal Palace, with the Portuguese coach praising his team's discipline after another clean sheet.

There are signs of resilience at the London Stadium too. West Ham are unbeaten in five home league matches and have kept two clean sheets in their past three there, following a long spell where defensive solidity proved hard to find.

Former boss to dent Hammers' survival hopes?

Everton, under former West Ham manager David Moyes, are pushing for European football for the first time since 2017-18.

Their away form has been a consistent strength this season. They have picked up 25 points on the road in the league this term (W7 D4 L5) — their strongest away tally across a season since 2020-21, when they collected 37.

Nine Premier League visits to London Stadium have yielded three wins, three draws and three defeats.

A trump card for the Toffees could be striker Beto. He has been lethal in the Premier League in 2026, finding the net seven times from just 19 efforts – an incredible 37% success rate – scoring every 81 minutes.

Previously, he managed 12 goals from 111 shots, converting only 11% and scoring at a rate of one every 271 minutes.

Marissa Thomas
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Everton at London Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news: "All [of] the squad is available and good."

• On keeping spirits high: "The players realise the situation but work in a good environment, which is helpful."

• On the departure of Baroness Karren Brady who stepped down as West Ham vice-chair after 16 years earlier this week: "She has been very supportive, good relationship. All the board have been supportive through difficult times. It has been a pleasure working with Karren."

• On clarity about the future of the club's hierarchy: "That's up to the board. My job is to prepare the boys - especially against Everton."

• When asked about the relegation battle, Nuno said: "There is a lot of football to be played so we have to focus on ourselves and Saturday is a big task for us."

• On his first game in charge of West Ham being against Everton and whether he has taken time to reflect: "It has been very demanding, very intense, so we are always looking at how we can improve and get our objectives done." He added he is "very confident" that West Ham will stay up because "the performances of the team give us all in the club the hope and the belief that we are competing well".

• Nuno said on West Ham's recent improved form: "The players are improving their levels and the standards. As long as we are improving our players, the team will improve.. We have been solid in defence, good in attack, sometimes not so good. Finding that balance in the remaining matches is going to be crucial for us."

• On West Ham being better at home under him: "Since we joined, it was one of our main goals to try to be comfortable at home. Credit to the fans. I think the fans realise the situation of the team and really put an effort in to support us. The team is giving back and the atmosphere has been good. Three games out of [the past] five at home has really helped us."

• On Chelsea loanee Axel Disasi: "He has been very helpful. Since he joined he has performed really good. We are positive that we have options at centre--half."

• On what he expects against the Toffees: "It's a tough game against a good team, good players. David Moyes is a good manager. It is going to be at the London Stadium - I think we have been improving our home factor [with] the support of the fans and we count on them to try to compete well and have a good performance."

Listen to full match commentary of West Ham v Everton on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra at 15:00 on Saturday

Got a question about West Ham? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Paris St-Germain have established contact with representatives of 21-year-old West Ham and Portugal midfielder Mateus Fernandes. (Foot Mercato - in French), external

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