West Ham lifted the pressure on manager Graham Potter with a dramatic late surge, claiming a 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest to move off the bottom of the Premier League table.
The victory offered relief for Potter, whose position has come under intense scrutiny following heavy defeats to Sunderland and Chelsea, coupled with a Carabao Cup exit to Wolves midweek.
Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring in the 84th minute, before Lucas Paquetá converted a late penalty and Callum Wilson netted his first goal for the club in stoppage time.
The win marked Potter’s sixth in 23 matches in charge and delivered West Ham their first points of the season.
They also managed a clean sheet after conceding 11 goals in their previous three league games, exposing a Forest side that struggled to find a cutting edge.
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espírito Santo has also had his own turbulent fortnight, admitting a strained relationship with club owner Evangelos Marinakis.
The pair are set to hold clear-the-air talks during the international break.
On the pitch, however, the action was slow to ignite. Early chances were few and far between, with West Ham’s Niclas Füllkrug twice heading over from corners.
Forest’s summer recruit Dan Ndoye found space behind the defense but lacked the finishing touch, while Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White were unusually ineffective in the attacking third.
West Ham had their clearest first-half opportunity when £40 million signing Mateus Fernandes, on his debut, released Paquetá, whose first-time strike was tipped over by Matz Sels.
Forest tested Mads Hermansen early in the second half, but Chris Wood’s tame header went straight to the West Ham goalkeeper.
As the match progressed, West Ham’s substitutes made the difference. Bowen’s low first-time strike broke the deadlock following a strong run by Crysencio Summerville.
Moments later, Summerville was fouled in the area, allowing Paquetá to calmly convert the penalty. In stoppage time, Wilson added the finishing touch with a header from El Hadji Malick Diouf’s cross.
Forest’s hopes of a late rally were ended as Bowen’s solo run into the box was denied by a superb save from Sels, leaving the home fans disappointed as West Ham celebrated a crucial victory.
