Football Review | West Ham United 3 - 2 Burnley

Could momentum be starting to build for West Ham?

They staged a spirited comeback to defeat fellow relegation strugglers Burnley, on a day marked by angry protests from home supporters.

Author | Jamie Pugh

Stadium | London Stadium

Thousands of fans gathered before kick-off at the London Stadium, marching through Stratford with a coffin and hearse to voice their discontent over the club’s ownership and direction.

Their frustration deepened when Zian Flemming headed Burnley into the lead from Lesley Ugochukwu’s cross. A brief VAR check for a potential offside earlier in the move did little to ease tensions as the goal was allowed to stand.

West Ham drew level before the interval when Callum Wilson reacted quickest to nod home after Crysencio Summerville’s deflected effort fell kindly in his path.

What happened in the second-half?

For much of the second half, the hosts struggled to create clear chances but eventually found momentum through Tomas Soucek’s influence and a pair of errors from Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

Soucek equalised from close range after Dubravka failed to deal with Lucas Paquetá’s delivery, before the Czech midfielder’s long-range strike was parried into the path of Kyle Walker-Peters, who made no mistake from close in.

Burnley pulled one back late on through Josh Cullen after an uncharacteristic mistake by Alphonse Areola, but the points were already secured.

The result leaves West Ham 18th in the table, behind Burnley only on goal difference, as both sides continue their fight for survival.

It had appeared destined to be another bleak day for West Ham

For much of the afternoon, it appeared destined to be another bleak day for West Ham, as discontent among supporters grew louder with chants calling for chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady to resign amid yet another protest.

Fans remain deeply frustrated by a range of issues, from the club’s move to the London Stadium and the redesign of its crest to perceived shortcomings in transfer investment and the failure to build on their 2023 Europa Conference League triumph.

On the pitch, Nuno Espírito Santo’s arrival has not produced instant transformation. This was only his sixth match in charge, yet it marked a second successive victory following last weekend’s win over Newcastle.

While the performance was far from convincing, the three points were all that mattered. Callum Wilson’s header on the stroke of half-time proved pivotal, sparing West Ham a likely chorus of boos at the interval.

Two scrappy second-half goals, both aided by uncertain goalkeeping from Martin Dubravka, completed the comeback. Tomas Soucek, introduced in place of the injured Freddie Potts, bundled home before Kyle Walker-Peters struck his first Premier League goal since 2022.

Josh Cullen’s late reply for Burnley set up a tense finish, but the whistle came soon enough to confirm a much-needed West Ham win.