West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has expressed his delight after winning his first match in charge of the club against Newcastle on Sunday.
The Hammers went into the showdown hoping to secure a much-needed victory as they battle to stay in the Premier League.
And West Ham did exactly that in front of a raucous London Stadium, with Lucas Paqueta and Tomas Soucek netting either side of a Sven Botman own goal to spark wild celebrations among the home fans.
Jacob Murphy had given Newcastle an early lead but, ultimately, Eddie Howe’s side will go home with nothing to their name.
It was a big win for Nuno, with pressure easing on him as a result.
Now, speaking after the win, he’s said that players are realising how tough it is to win games – but says he’s seen enough to know they now go on a winning run.
“The players are realising that winning in the Premier League, we have to work very hard,” he stated.
“We will do it again. The win makes it easier, there are smiles and the legs feel easier.
Lucas Paqueta celebrates scoring for West Ham against Newcastle on Sunday
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“We see slight improvements on the pitch. We have to create a platform on the pitch.”
Nuno also singled out Freddie Potts for praise, with the 22-year-old shining alongside Paqueta as the Hammers climbed above Nottingham Forest to 18th.
“He did well. The midfield worked really hard. That is one of the strengths of Newcastle,” added the Hammers manager.
“It means a lot for us as a club and our fans. We are able to give them something.
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West Ham star Tomas Soucek scored his side’s third goal against Newcastle on Sunday
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“It was terrific to hear the noise at the London Stadium. We hope we can deliver again next week and we can build on this atmosphere.”
Meanwhile, West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen also opened up after the game.
The England international acknowledged it had been a ‘difficult period’ but was proud of his teammates for the way they performed.
“It’s been a difficult period. I always say the same thing – we’re the only ones that can change it. We did that today,” he said.
Five facts about the Premier League | GETTY/PA“We’ve got potential as a group, we just haven’t shown it enough recently.
“The potential we’ve got, we have to understand it, go out there and show it. Today was a start for that, I thought.”
In a separate interview, he added: “It has been a long time coming.
Nuno Espirito Santo was delighted with West Ham’s performance in their win over Newcastle
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PA
“We know we haven’t been good enough at home and we wanted to change that.
“Sometimes you think your luck is against you and it will never change but we stuck in there.
“I don’t think we did anything different in terms of preparation. It is us as players understanding the situation we are in and wanting to change that.
“Different things have gone against us, set-pieces have gone against us and defending our goal. This time we deserved the win in the end.”
West Ham will be aiming to build on the win when they face Burnley next Saturday (3pm).
As for Newcastle, Eddie Howe will be hoping for a response when they go up against Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League on Tuesday (8pm).
