By OkayGoal
West Ham are third in the Championship and three points off the top, and yet Saturday’s visit of West Brom feels like the biggest afternoon of Nuno Espirito Santo’s season so far.
That tells you plenty about where the mood is at the London Stadium. West Ham were booed at half-time and at full-time in last weekend’s 3-2 defeat by Southampton, some of it aimed at the referee, and Nuno answered less than two minutes of questions from the written media before leaving his press conference.
It was only their first league defeat since 22 August, and it ended a nine-match unbeaten run. After relegation last season, though, third place was never going to buy a manager much patience on its own. The way they lost was the real problem.
Why does this keep happening in the first half hour?
Look at the Southampton timeline. Kuryu Matsuki scored around the second minute, James Bree volleyed in at the 11th and Lewis Dobbin made it three at the 34th, with Kyle Walker-Peters’ goal in between. Tomas Soucek’s stoppage-time strike made the score look closer than the afternoon felt.
Slow starts have become the running theme under Nuno. He has talked about the need to start quickly more than once, and that is exactly what worries us. A manager who knows about a problem and can’t solve it is in a worse spot than one who hasn’t spotted it yet.
Home form makes it louder. West Ham have gone three games without a win at the London Stadium, losing to Fulham in the Carabao Cup, drawing with QPR and then losing to Southampton. Both of their Championship defeats this season have come there, in a campaign that has also seen them win 6-0 twice, against Wrexham and Lincoln City.
It is also a squad that has had to move on from a lot. Mateus Fernandes was always likely to leave after relegation, and he is now at Tottenham, where Roberto De Zerbi is talking up what he can become.
Who replaces Mavropanos if the knee doesn’t clear?
Konstantinos Mavropanos hurt his knee late on against Southampton, and that is a bigger loss than it sounds. He has five goals in 11 Championship games and is the man West Ham look for at set pieces.
The news on Friday was better than expected, even if Nuno wouldn’t commit to him. “We were concerned about his injury but thank god it’s not as serious as expected and he’s recovering quite well,” he said. “He was on the grass today by himself so it’s positive in some ways.” He also listed Joel Veltman and Keiber Lamadrid among his doubts.
If Mavropanos doesn’t make it, we’d go with Airidas Golambeckis. The 18-year-old academy centre-back started at Watford earlier this season, and we think he has earned another go. Morato could move inside from left-back instead, but putting him beside Max Kilman means two left-footers in the middle.
That switch would also open up a place for Oliver Scarles at left-back. He came on for Morato at half-time against Southampton, made three tackles and helped pin the visitors back. Two young defenders in a game like this is a risk, but it would at least count as the brave call this team needs.
And what about Bowen?
The captain twisted his ankle in training this week, which caused a brief panic. Nuno calmed it down: “He had treatment for a couple of days, but he joined us today, and he seems okay.” That’s just as well. Jarrod Bowen, who said in May he wanted to stay and fight for promotion, has six goals this season, more than any other Championship player who isn’t a centre-forward.
Is it time to leave Castellanos out?
We think so. Taty Castellanos played the full 90 minutes against Southampton, laid the ball off for Soucek’s goal and had a late header saved, and that is about as much as can be said for him. West Ham score goals, but we still don’t see a proper number nine in this squad, and he hasn’t delivered enough to be treated as one.
Joel Piroe isn’t a natural answer either. He came on for the last part of that game and couldn’t find a clear opening in a crowded box, but with Divine Mukasa playing close to him he offers something different. Pablo is the other option. He came off the bench for Mukasa, created two chances, and the team’s energy looks better with him on the pitch.
Mohamadou Kante should be involved too, and Edvin Austbo is worth a look on the left in place of Manor Solomon. None of this is radical. It is simply what a manager does when the same XI keeps giving teams a head start.
West Ham vs West Brom: can the Baggies punish another slow start?
West Brom arrive fifth and unbeaten in three, with wins over Wrexham and Blackburn Rovers before a 1-1 draw at bottom side Preston that needed a late Jimmy-Jay Morgan goal. James Morrison has rotated heavily, so don’t expect the same side twice. Morgan and Aune Heggebo both started on the bench at Preston and could come back in.
The record is on West Ham’s side, with West Brom winning only once at this ground in the past decade. Their own absentees help as well, with Toby Collyer and Mikey Johnston among those missing.
So the plan should be simple: go after them early. Get Bowen swinging corners under the crossbar, make O’Leary come and deal with them, and don’t give the crowd 20 minutes to get restless. A win could even send West Ham top if other results go their way, and that would change the conversation very quickly.
Quick answers on West Ham vs West Brom
What time is West Ham vs West Brom?
West Ham vs West Brom kicks off at 3pm UK time on Saturday 31 October 2026 at the London Stadium.
Is Mavropanos playing for West Ham against West Brom?
Konstantinos Mavropanos is a doubt with a knee problem. Nuno says it is not as serious as first feared, and if he misses out we would start Airidas Golambeckis next to Max Kilman.
Is Jarrod Bowen fit to face West Brom?
Nuno expects him to be available. Bowen twisted his ankle in training and had treatment for a couple of days, but he rejoined the group on Friday and, in Nuno’s words, “seems okay”.
Is Nuno under pressure at West Ham?
Yes, even with West Ham third and three points behind Middlesbrough. The boos against Southampton and a run of three home games without a win have changed the mood, and the slow starts are still not fixed.
Verdict: Nuno can’t afford another nervy first half
This isn’t a must-win in the table. It is a must-win for the mood. If West Ham start well and take three points, things calm down and the Southampton game becomes one bad day out of ten. If they serve up anything like that first half again, the pressure on Nuno ramps up properly, and third place won’t be much of a defence.
We think they’ll do just enough. Our call is West Ham 2-1 West Brom, but it’s the first 20 minutes we’ll be watching, not the last.