Nuno hints at a change of approach for West Ham after Chelsea loss

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·6. Februar 2026

Nuno hints at a change of approach for West Ham after Chelsea loss

West Ham United crashed to a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea in the Premier League and manager Nuno Espirito Santo has now admitted that the approach did not work out.

West Ham employed a high-pressing style of football against Chelsea and did reasonably well until the hour mark. However, fatigue crept in during the second half, and West Ham eventually lost their spark.

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The 4-4-2 system deployed by Espirito Santo demands high pressing from the two strikers, but West Ham simply do not have the depth in that area of the pitch to change things around and maintain the same level of pressure throughout the 90 minutes.

Nuno has now admitted that the system needs to change, and it will be interesting to see whether he can get the best out of his team while staying within the resources at his disposal. They should have signed more players if they wanted to play a high-pressing style.

Nuno said (h/t Claret&Hugh): “We spent a lot of energy pressing high in the game, and playing so well offensively, and after about 55–60 minutes, we felt that energy getting away. We tried to rebalance the team with an extra body and it didn’t work out, so the challenge is to keep the standards throughout the whole match.”

It has been a disappointing season for West Ham, and they are fighting for survival in the Premier League. It will be interesting to see whether they can improve their performance in the coming weeks and secure safety in the top flight.

There is no doubt that they have the players to do much better than they have this season. The fan will certainly expect them to step up their performances and bounce back strongly.