Nuno Espirito Santo has admitted West Ham United fell below expected levels in their 2-0 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa, but remains confident his side can recover after the international break.
Goals from John McGinn and Ollie Watkins secured a deserved win for Villa, who dominated proceedings at Villa Park.
“We were not good enough”
Despite arriving in strong form, West Ham struggled to match Villa’s intensity, with Nuno conceding his side were second-best throughout the contest.
“We lost against a good team, that’s a fact, but we were not good enough today,” the Portuguese tactician said.
“In the first half we didn’t play well. We arrived late in the duels and didn’t press as we should have. We were never comfortable in the game.”
The Hammers showed slight improvement after the break but failed to alter the outcome.
West Ham’s task was made harder by the late withdrawal of Jean-Clair Todibo during the warm-up, while the absence of Crysencio Summerville also weakened their options.
Still, Nuno refused to use those setbacks as excuses, pointing instead to his team’s inability to win individual battles and maintain composure on the ball.
“We lost individual duels, arrived late and were not comfortable with the ball. That is worrying,” he added.
The defeat leaves West Ham inside the relegation zone heading into the international break, increasing the pressure ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.
However, Nuno remains optimistic his players can regroup and respond positively.
“It’s a moment to reflect. We have to improve in many aspects,” he said.
“I’m positive that we can bounce back,” the Portuguese said in quotes revealed by West Ham official website.
With key matches against Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers on the horizon, West Ham will need a swift response to revive their survival hopes.
