West Ham United's new manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, has acknowledged the difficult situation he faces after his team's recent defeat to Brentford. The match, which took place at the London Stadium on October 20, 2025, saw West Ham fall to a 2-0 loss against Brentford. Goals from Igor Thiago and Mathias Jensen secured Brentford's first away win of the season, further compounding West Ham's woes.
Nuno Espirito Santo, who was appointed as West Ham's manager on September 27, 2025, following the dismissal of Graham Potter, is now facing immense pressure to turn things around. The defeat against Brentford marked his first home game in charge and coincided with a planned boycott by West Ham supporters who are protesting against the club's board. Those fans who did attend made their displeasure known with near silence and boos at the end of the match.
"Not good enough. Poor," was Nuno's blunt assessment of the game. He admitted, "Fairly Brentford won the game, they were the better team". He further acknowledged the growing concern among the fans, stating, "I think we are all concerned. You can see our own fans are concerned. Concern becomes anxiety, becomes silence. We have a problem".
Brentford dominated the match, registering 22 shots on goal compared to West Ham's seven. Igor Thiago's goal in the 43rd minute, assisted by Kevin Schade, broke the deadlock. Thiago had another goal disallowed for offside, but Mathias Jensen sealed the victory with a late goal in stoppage time, assisted by Keane Lewis-Potter. West Ham, on the other hand, struggled to create clear-cut chances, with Jarrod Bowen's effort being denied by Brentford's goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher, in the first half.
The loss leaves West Ham in a precarious position, languishing in the relegation zone. They have now lost their opening four home league games for the first time in the club's history. Nuno recognizes the need to address the team's struggles and rebuild the connection with the supporters. "It's understandable. It's up to us to change. The fans need to see something that pleases them and they can support us and give us energy," he said. "I understand it, I understand it totally, and I respect it. It's up to us, it's up to us to change it".
Nuno's coaching career has seen success at clubs such as Rio Ave, Valencia, and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He achieved Europa League qualification with Rio Ave and led Wolves to the Premier League, securing two consecutive seventh-place finishes. After a short stint at Tottenham Hotspur and a spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad, he returned to England with Nottingham Forest, guiding them to a seventh-place finish and FA Cup semi-finals in the 2024/25 season. Now, he faces the challenge of revitalizing West Ham and steering them away from the threat of relegation.
West Ham will look to bounce back in their next match against Leeds United, while Brentford will aim to build on their win against an out-of-form Liverpool.
