West Ham United good form continued, as they held of title chasing Manchester City to secure a 1-1 draw. The point took to Hammers out of the bottom three for one night but Nottingham Forest now only remain above them on goal difference.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s team are showing that they are fighting for each other. What this West Ham team lacked in the first-half of the season, it is now showing it has. Defensively the Irons look stronger than ever, fighting for every ball and putting bodies on the line to secure points. Something every Hammers fan wants to see their team do.
El Hadji Malick Diouf has been in the side for most of the season. At wingback, the 21-year-old has shown what he can do going forward but as he has played deeper, his defensive work has improved massively. Often playing alongside two of Konstantinos Mavropanos, Axel Disasi and Jean-Clair Todibo, the Senegal international is the first choice for West Ham down the left-hand-side.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Diouf highlighted the togetherness of the group that has helped them find form:
“Every game like this, we play harder. We are not only a team, but we are also a family.
“Everyone is together. The players on the bench, the players that start – it doesn’t matter. If you come onto the pitch, you have to help the team and give all your energy.
“I’m here now. After the AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations), I’m back, and [all my] energy, I have to give it to West Ham to stay up.”
West Ham’s defensive effort
The 1-1 draw with Manchester City has continued to highlight the new look to West Ham. At times last year the Hammers looked lost for answers and completely disjointed. Now, in 2026, the Irons look a close knit group, more together than ever, ready to fight for their Premier League status starting from the back up.
Diouf knows this and acknowledged the mindset that Nuno has put into his team:
“Playing against Manchester City is really difficult. It’s my first time, but they’re one of the best teams here in England, so I think it’s a good point for us.
“The Head Coach was in the dressing room and told us it’s a challenge for us as a defender because we have to defend really well to get a good result.
“I think we did it today, so I think we can keep our heads up and try to do better in the next game against Aston Villa, and I hope we’re going to make a good performance and get a good result.
“Four or five months ago I was saying that we needed that passion. If you start really badly, you have to stay patient, because I know we have a really good squad.
“It’s still not enough, so we have to continue. We have to keep going.”
