West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo said he was especially pleased for the club’s supporters after the Hammers delivered an impressive 3–1 victory over Sunderland in Sunday’s early kickoff, a result that lifted spirits at the London Stadium during a challenging period of the season.
The Portuguese coach, who was born in Sao Tome, praised both the performance and the atmosphere, highlighting the connection between players and fans as a key factor in the outcome.
West Ham set the tone early, racing into a commanding first-half lead through goals from Crysencio Summerville, who scored for a third consecutive match, Jarrod Bowen and Mateus Fernandes. The early flurry effectively decided the contest before the interval.
Speaking to West Ham TV after the match, Nuno underlined the importance of giving the supporters something to celebrate.
“It was a good performance. In the first half, we started really well.
“The momentum, the energy that the boys put in, the connections, the combinations. We scored, we had good spells of football (and were) dominant in terms of defence.
“And it was a big improvement in the second half in terms of managing the game, managing the tempo of the game. We didn’t allow too many situations – they scored but didn’t go crazy.
“We kept the shape, kept organised. And in the second half, (we drew strength from) the support of the fans, realising that we were in trouble, that we needed energy.
“When we give, they give back 1,000 times more. So overall, it a very good performance. We are in a tough place. We have a lot of work to do, but this is what we need to do from minute one.
“We cannot afford to lose one moment in our game, that we don’t look to score, or we don’t look to win our duels. The boys are there.”
