Nuno admits Wolves caused one of his hardest moments as West Ham boss, ahead of rematch

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Nuno Espirito Santo has admitted losing to Wolves in January was one of his toughest moments as West Ham United manager, ahead of the teams facing off again this weekend.

It was felt like an age since Wolves fought back to draw with Brentford, but fans now have only a couple more days left to wait.

Wolves take on West Ham on Friday night, and are looking to get three points to try and keep the faith.

Of course at the moment, Wanderers are 13 points from safety, suggesting a near-perfect end to the season will be required for survival.

Ahead of the game, Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking about Wolves, and reflected back on the meeting in January.

Wolves defeat exposed West Ham’s lowest level under Nuno

The previous meeting between the sides ended in a heavy 3-0 loss for West Ham, a result that Nuno himself has framed as a defining setback early in his tenure.

Describing it as one of the hardest moments they’ve had as a group, he said (via whufc.com): “The first time we faced them, it was probably one of the hardest moments we’ve had as a group.

“That was a really disappointing performance, but we came through that moment and improved a lot, and we’re in a much better place now.”

Wolves present an even stronger challenge now, and Nuno has acknowledged the Old Gold’s upward movement.

He added: “It’s going to be a tough game, because they’re a good team that is improving. You can see that, but we are ready to compete.

“We’re playing at home, which is a big advantage for us. We know the fans are going to be there, and we know we have a mission in our hands that we’re going to try to fulfil.”

With West Ham facing the same side that exposed their lowest level, the Wolves players will surely be looking for a repeat on Friday.

• READ MORE: How much money Wolves gave to Jorge Mendes and Gestifute after latest agent fees revealed

West Ham vs Wolves history shows a tighter contest than expected

The long-term record between the clubs shows a competitive fixture rather than a one-sided rivalry.

West Ham have 36 wins, while Wolves have 27 wins, with 14 draws recorded across their meetings.

Wolves have won the last three meetings across all competitions, which came after a run of three straight defeats.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
15	LeedsLeeds	31	7	12	12	37	48	-11	33
16	Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest	31	8	8	15	31	43	-12	32
17	TottenhamTottenham	31	7	9	15	40	50	-10	30
18	West HamWest Ham	31	7	8	16	36	57	-21	29
19	BurnleyBurnley	31	4	8	19	33	61	-28	20
20	WolvesWolves	31	3	8	20	24	54	-30	17

It promises to be a frenetic game, with both sides still fighting hard against relegation.

Wolves’ situation is undoubtedly bleak, but while there is still a mathematical possibility to survive, Rob Edwards will have hope.

The Hammers are just a point behind Tottenham Hotspur and can get out of the relegation zone with a win. No doubt Nuno will want that against his former club as he looks to execute a safety mission.