adminCesar Peixoto has admitted he was hugely impressed by the physical qualities of a West Ham player despite Wolves suffering their first Championship defeat of the season at the London Stadium.
Wolves were beaten 4-2 by fellow relegated side West Ham on Tuesday night, bringing Peixoto’s unbeaten start as manager to an end.
However, the Portuguese coach insisted that the final score did not tell the full story of a match in which Wolves created several opportunities and controlled large periods of the contest.
West Ham eventually secured all three points thanks to goals from Divine Mukasa, who scored twice, Jarrod Bowen and Konstantinos Mavropanos. Marshall Munetsi scored for Wolves before Mavropanos later put through his own net.
Peixoto refuses to blame his players
Despite the heavy defeat, Peixoto was keen to highlight the positives from his team’s performance.
The Wolves boss argued that his side remained committed to their style throughout the game and continued attacking even after falling 4-1 behind.
“I think it’s an unfair result because we created a lot of chances,” Peixoto said after the match. He added that Wolves remained competitive until the final whistle and could have scored one or two more goals.
Wolves had already gone close several times before West Ham opened the scoring, with Raul Jimenez and Mateus Mane both hitting the woodwork.
That made the eventual defeat particularly frustrating for Peixoto, who believed the difference between the two teams was their finishing in front of goal.
Divine Mukasa proves decisive
West Ham’s young midfielder Divine Mukasa emerged as one of the major figures of the night.
The Manchester City loanee opened the scoring in spectacular fashion with a powerful effort from outside the box that went in off the underside of the crossbar.
He then struck again early in the second half when his shot took a significant deflection before looping over Jose Sa.
The teenager’s brace played a major role in West Ham claiming their first league victory of the campaign.
Jarrod Bowen then converted from the penalty spot after Wolves conceded a spot-kick, while Mavropanos eventually added a fourth for the hosts.
Wolves still showed character
Peixoto was particularly pleased with the way his players continued fighting despite the difficult circumstances.
Wolves reduced the deficit before half-time through Munetsi and continued looking for another route back into the contest after the break.
An own goal from Mavropanos gave them further hope, but they were unable to find a third goal that could have created a tense finale.
The Wolves manager therefore urged his players not to become overly concerned by the result.
He stressed that the Championship season is long and maintained that if his team continues performing at the same level, victories should outweigh defeats.
Frustration over West Ham’s fourth goal
Peixoto also questioned the circumstances surrounding West Ham’s fourth goal.
The Wolves boss claimed there had been discussions with referees before the season about blocking goalkeepers at corners and felt Jose Sa had been prevented from challenging for the ball.
According to Peixoto, the incident affected Sa’s ability to attack the cross, although the referee ultimately allowed the goal to stand.
The Portuguese coach accepted that Wolves had to move forward rather than dwell on the decision.
Peixoto remains confident
The defeat leaves Wolves with plenty to improve, particularly defensively, but Peixoto remains convinced that his side can mount a serious promotion challenge.
Wolves had started the campaign strongly and arrived at the London Stadium with significant momentum after their impressive victory over Stoke City.
Their manager therefore sees the loss as a setback rather than a crisis.
Peixoto’s message to his players is clear: maintain their identity, continue working hard and improve their finishing and defensive organisation.
For Wolves, the immediate challenge will be responding positively in their next fixture and showing that the defeat at West Ham was merely a temporary setback rather than the beginning of a downturn.
admin
