Soccer
West Ham secure first win of season after putting four past Wolves
Divine Mukasa scored twice as West Ham beat Wolves 4-2 to pick up their first three points since last season’s relegation to the Championship.
Wolves, who also went down from the Premier League last term, could have gone top with a victory but ended up losing for the first time under new manager Cesar Peixoto.
Jarrod Bowen and Konstantinos Mavropanos also scored for the hosts, with Marshall Munetsi and Mavropanos’ own goal replying for Wolves.
The win eased the pressure on manager Nuno Espirito Santo on a night when Amanda Staveley, who is heading a consortium looking to buy a significant stake in West Ham, was at the London Stadium.
West Ham struggled initially and were relieved when Raul Jimenez, picked out in space in the box by Jackson Tchatchoua, shanked wildly wide.
Jimenez’s next attempt, from a corner played almost to the edge of the box, was better though. The Mexico striker’s shot bounced off the turf, over goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and on to the top of the crossbar.
Mateus Mane also hit the bar not long afterwards, from the left of the box after Kyle Walker-Peters had failed to cut out a cross. The full-back recovered to get just enough of a deflection on the shot that followed.
A goal was coming and it was the hosts who scored it against the run of play in the 33rd minute.
Mukasa, the on-loan Manchester City midfielder, unleashed a rising drive from more than 20 yards that went in off the underside of the crossbar.
West Ham were a team transformed, with Munetsi having to block on the line from Max Kilman.
And they were awarded a penalty in the 40th minute for Andre’s lunge on Joel Piroe. Bowen sent goalkeeper Jose Sa the wrong way to slot home.
Wolves hit back in the 43rd minute when Munetsi won a chase with Mavropanos that saw him turn the Greek defender and end a low drive beyond Hermansen’s dive to his left.
West Ham increased their lead in the 53rd minute through Mukasa. The teenager accepted Bowen’s pass from the right and saw his shot loop off the boot of Nasser Djiga to leave Sa helpless again.
Sa batted away a Bowen drive from an angle but West Ham made it 4-1 in the 64th minute through Mavropanos’ goal from the resulting corner. The centre-back saw his header deflected on to the crossbar but lashed home the rebound, also off the bar.
Wolves pulled a goal back in the 69th minute when Mavropanos, sliding in to stop Tchatchoua setting up substitute Jordan James, diverted the ball into his own net.
