West Ham Thrash Wolves 4-0 to Escape Relegation Zone, Sending Spurs Down

A 4-0 demolition of Wolverhampton Wanderers at the London Stadium lifted West Ham out of the Premier League's bottom three for the first time since December, while simultaneously plunging Tottenham Hotspur into the relegation zone they had just vacated.

Konstantinos Mavropanos opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, meeting Jarrod Bowen's inswinging cross with a firm header, and from that point Wolves never recovered. Taty Castellanos doubled the lead in the 66th minute, playing a one-two with Pablo before rolling the ball past goalkeeper José Sá, then added a third just two minutes later when a deflected shot squirmed into the net. Mavropanos completed the rout with a far-post volley from an 83rd-minute corner, earning a 9/10 Player of the Match rating from Sky Sports.

The result carries a particular irony: West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who replaced Graham Potter in September 2025, previously managed both Wolves and Tottenham, the two clubs his side pushed closer to the drop on Friday evening. Nuno was measured in his post-match assessment, insisting the result "doesn't change anything" in West Ham's survival fight. "I hope the best result is still in front of us," he said. "That afternoon at Wolves was tough for everybody at the club. Today we changed the dynamic."

West Ham's revival from one of their darkest stretches of the season has been built on solidity and January reinforcements. After a home defeat to Nottingham Forest left them winless in ten games and seven points adrift of safety, they have since won five of eleven matches. Defender Axel Disasi, striker Castellanos and forward Pablo all arrived in the winter window and each contributed meaningfully to the turnaround. Friday's brace doubled Castellanos' tally for the club. Crysencio Summerville also returned from injury among six changes from West Ham's FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Leeds.

West Ham now sit 17th on 32 points, level with Nottingham Forest in 16th and one behind Leeds United in 15th, with a two-point cushion above the bottom three. Tottenham, on 30 points, drop to 18th; it is the first time the north London club have been in the relegation zone at the end of a Premier League matchday since August 2015, when they lost 1-0 to Manchester United. Their next fixture is at Sunderland on Sunday at 14:00 BST, which will be Roberto De Zerbi's first game as Spurs manager.

Wolves remain anchored at the bottom in 20th on 17 points, fifteen adrift of safety with only six games remaining. Their manager was unsparing in his assessment. "I'm bitterly disappointed," he said. "The performance in the first half was good, we started really well. Going 1-0 down, it can happen. But then two quickfire goals latched onto our mistakes. It's poor from us, and the game was done." Wolves could see their relegation confirmed as early as next week if they lose away at Leeds United.

West Ham supporters revelled in the shifting narrative at the bottom, chanting "going down with the Tottenham" at the travelling Wolves end. The last time West Ham were relegated was at the end of the 2010/11 season under Avram Grant. With six games left and safety now in their own hands, Friday felt like the night the equation finally changed.