Wolves are preparing for a must-win battle against West Ham at the London Stadium on Monday night.
For fans of both clubs, the weekend’s action on matchweek 15 was merely a warm-up ahead of Monday’s drama.
Gary O’Neil and Julen Loeptegui’s jobs are at risk at the London Stadium as Wolves take on West Ham for three crucial points.
Defeat for either side could result in a change at the top, with both sides feeling the pressure heading into the festive period.
Max Kilman sends message to Wolves before West Ham clash
O’Neil is expected to make several changes against West Ham following Wolves’ humiliating defeat to Everton.
Regardless of the result at the London Stadium, Wolves fans have lost all trust in O’Neil, who has guided the Old Gold deep into the relegation zone.
Four points from safety is not where the Midlands side expected nor wanted to be at this stage of the season, giving the manager a significant hurdle to clear on Monday night.
Wolves’ defence has been a problem this term which stemmed from Matt Hobbs’ mistakes in the summer transfer window, offloading captain Max Kilman with no replacement lined up.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 14 |  West HamWest Ham | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 27 | -9 | 15 |
| 15 |  EvertonEverton | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 21 | -7 | 14 |
| 16 |  LeicesterLeicester | 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 21 | 30 | -9 | 14 |
| 17 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 15 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 20 | -6 | 13 |
| 18 |  IpswichIpswich | 15 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 27 | -13 | 9 |
| 19 |  WolvesWolves | 14 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 22 | 36 | -14 | 9 |
| 20 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 15 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 31 | -20 | 5 |
Now, the centre-back will come up against the club that raised him in the Premier League in a must-win game.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the fixture, Kilman sent a message to his former club following his summer transfer.
“I’d been at Wolves for such a long time and Wolves gave me the opportunity to come to West Ham,” Kilman said.
“I’m grateful for some good memories there but now I’m with West Ham, I need to do my best for West Ham and that’s what I’m looking to do now.”
Kilman’s mind isn’t ready to drift away from the task presented to his club, despite the prospect of handing his former teammates a relegation sucker punch.
Kilman evaluates his start to life at West Ham
Parting ways with Kilman was a shock for the Old Gold, bidding farewell to their captain who had an integral role to play last season.
The centre-back played every minute of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign at Wolves before being sold to West Ham in a surprise move.
| Stat | Average | Rank at Wolves |
| Minutes | 3420 | 1st |
| Clearances | 4.7 per game | 2nd |
| Blocks | 1 per game | = 2nd |
| Passes | 60.2 per game | 1st |
Evaluating his time in the capital following his transfer, the defender admitted that he desires to ‘do more’ with the Hammers.
“I think I’ve done alright but I want to do more,” Kilman admitted.
“I can definitely give more so that’s my plan. I just want to keep my head down, keep improving and hopefully things will get even better.”
Wolves will be hoping that their former captain has an off-day on Monday night as a crucial three points is on offer to both clubs at the London Stadium.