Wolves 3-0 West Ham: Pressure increases on Hammers as they are humbled by bottom side - who win in the league for the first time this season

When you are fighting for your lives, you simply have to beat a team widely tipped to go down as the worst in Premier League history.

That West Ham were reduced to rubble by rock-bottom Wolves raised serious questions over their ability to beat to drop – and worse still, their stomach for the fight.

A quite shocking first-half surrender allowed Rob Edwards' men to steamroll their way into a 3-0 lead, leaving the Hammers looking like the division's no-hopers. From Nuno Espirito Santo 's men there was no fight, no invention – in a nutshell, no hope. This was as bad as it gets.

And perhaps the bitterest pill to swallow for the 3,000 travelling fans was that defeat came as no real surprise. They watched on in horror during a first half which saw Wolves tear into tackles and rip a notoriously fragile defence to shreds.

There was no fluke about this result. Wolves were much the better side as they won their first Premier League game since last April – and their first at the 20th time of asking this season.

Goals from Jhon Arias, Hwang Hee-chan and Mateus Mane were the least they deserved for their stunning superiority.

Wolves won for the first time this season as they beat a dismal West Ham 3-0 at home

It was the Hammers who looked like the worst team in the league and they are staring at the prospect of relegation

And now Nuno – with West Ham winless in nine and sinking fast – is staring at the dismal prospect of relegation just days into 2026.

A new year is supposed to bring in new hope but not for Nuno, the former Wolves boss lauded by the home faithful who will never forget the job he did here. 'Nuno is a Wolves fan, Nuno is a Wolves fan,' was the chant from the jubilant home stands.

Wolves have been beyond shambolic for so much of this season, collecting just three points before West Ham arrived in town. Maybe the penny has finally dropped that they cannot go down as the worst team in Premier League history. That indignity belongs to Derby County and their pitiful 11-point haul during the 2007-08 season.

If Wolves are destined for the drop – and it would require a miracle to stay up – then on this evidence they will go down fighting.

Ambition pulsed loudly around this famous old ground before kick-off. Desire was visible and audible in a fanbase who deserve much better than the fare they have been served up this season. This was payback time.

That energy from the stands – that feeling that West Ham could be there for the taking – transmitted to Edwards' players.

Before kick-off, Edwards pointed to a Hammers side struggling for confidence and wobbing alarmingly and instructed his men to expose them. The message was heeded, as Wanderers led inside the fourth minute through Arias' close-range strike.

Hwang Hee-Chan had already galloped through a leaden-footed Hammers defence before attempting to find a team-mate when he should have shot. But his creative skills soon came to the fore in devastating fashion when he broke clear down the left flank before showing intelligence to cross low across the six-yard box.

Hwang Hee-chan netted from the penalty spot in a rampant first-half from the home side

The Hammers remain four points adrift of safety with 20 games already played this season

Arias arrived at pace ahead of West Ham's statuesque defenders to slam the ball home for his first goal for the club. That sparked wild celebrations among the home faithful while Edwards roared manically as he embraced his coaching staff at pitchside.

It was no more than Wolves deserved for their early vibrancy and represented the worst possible start for West Ham. If the Hammers could not beat a team universally written off as no-hopers, could they really consider ready to start climbing to safety? Well, save for a few flashes from Crysencio Summerville, there was next to nothing from Nuno's men.

Shortly after the half-hour mark came another knife in the side of a Hammers side who simply cannot defend. Ex-Wolves defender Max Kilman failed to make a routine clearance and the ball fell invitingly to Mateus Mané was deemed to have been fouled inside the box by Soungoutou Magassa.

After a VAR check, Hwang stepped up to confidently convert from 12 yards to leave the home supporters bouncing. 'Let's all have a disco!' they chanted joyously.

Wolves almost grabbed a third in the 37th minute when Alphonse Areola produced a stunning save with his foot to keep out Tolu Arokodare's close-range header. Wanderers were cruising it, much to the disgust of Hammers fans who could scarcely believe what they were seeing.

But a third home goal soon arrived when Mane was afforded the time and space to strike a low right-foot shot from 18 yards past Areola.

Nuno hooked Freddie Potts and Magassa at the break and that helped to stem the bleeding for the visitors. Then again, they could hardly have got much worse after the opening 45 minutes.

Wolves continued to threaten as half-chances came and went which came to nothing. It did not matter. The sight of hundreds of Hammers fans marching out of Molineux in disgust long before kick-off said everything.

Meanwhile, the long-suffering Wolves supporters milked the victory for everything it was worth, even jokingly singing 'we're gonna win the league.' It was that kind of afternoon.

Little wonder Nuno stormed down the tunnel at the final whistle without shaking Edwards' hand.