Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a horror season so far, but at the start of 2026 they finally celebrated their first win of the current season, deservedly beating West Ham 3-0.
Wolverhampton Wanderers had gone 23 games without a win in the Premier League across two seasons. The second half of 2025 was a total disaster for the Wolves. After 19 match days, they were languishing at the bottom of the table, 15 points adrift of safety. West Ham therefore traveled to Wolverhampton knowing that a win was a must.
Arias opens the scoring for the Wolves
But 2026 got off to a very positive start for Wolves: they celebrated their first goal in the 4th minute. Hwang dribbled into the penalty area on the left and then crossed to Arias, who slid the ball into the goal from five meters out. This surprise goal did not seem to wake West Ham up. The ball continued to be closer to the Hammers’ goal.
In the 30th minute, the visitors suffered a second blow: after a VAR intervention, referee Peter Bankes pointed to the spot because Magassa had only hit Mané’s foot in the battle for the ball. Hwang took the penalty and remained extremely cool. The South Korean slotted the ball easily into the middle. And that wasn’t all: shortly before half-time, the bottom-of-the-table team made their point. Mané, only 18 years old, dribbled towards the penalty area from the left and then sank a low shot from the edge of the box into the near corner to make it 3-0 at half-time.
Hardly any chances for West Ham in the second half
In the second half, West Ham had significantly more possession, but still didn’t really pose a threat. The Wolves defended selflessly and allowed hardly any real chances. In the end, it remained a deserved 3-0 victory, Wolverhampton’s first win of the current Premier League season. The bottom-of-the-table team earned this victory through good finishing paired with a solid defensive performance.
This brings the Wolves’ points tally to six. However, the first non-relegation spot (Nottingham) is still twelve points away. West Ham also remains in a relegation spot in 18th place. The Hammers are four points away from safety. And on Tuesday (9 p.m.), they face Nottingham Forest in a direct duel at London Stadium. Wolverhampton will face Everton away on Wednesday (8:30 p.m.).
