- West Ham have enjoyed a significant upturn in form since January
- The Hammers are now two points above the bottom three
- Lucas Paqueta left the club in January
West Ham United took a big stride in the Premier League survival fight as they beat Everton 2-1. The win keeps the Hammers out of the bottom three and keeps Tottenham Hotspur in the relegation zone.
Nuno Espirito Santo and his staff have made a number of changes since the beginning of 2026 to get the team fit and firing. What once looked like a team destined for relegation, is now in control of it’s own destiny going forward.
January recruitment was huge part of the planning, with the likes of Axel Disasi and Valentin Castellanos joining West Ham. The recruits and coaching have not only hit the ground running, but helped players such as Konstantinos Mavropanos and Mateus Fernandes grow in confidence and perform better.
Now, the Hammers sit outside the bottom three with four games left and survival in their own hands.
Stuart Pearce suggests Lucas Paqueta departure helped West Ham
Former West Ham and England defender, Stuart Pearce, told Premier League Productions that around the time Lucas Paqueta left the team, the side appeared to lift up and perform better.
“Yeah, they’ve had an uplift. [Konstantinos] Mavropanos is playing extremely well at the moment.
“[Mateus] Fernandes in midfield is playing well and they found a newfound confidence and work rate within the team. And they’re galvanising results on the back of that.
“Paqueta left and I don’t know whether it ties in with him leaving the club, but I don’t want to lay a blame on any one player’s doorstep as such, but the uplift has come since then.”
Paqueta left West Ham to return to Brazil in the winter window. Whilst Nuno did not want to lose the playmaker, it did help the Irons boss complete all the moves he wanted to in the window.
Whether or not it was the difference maker, there is no denying that the Hammers January additions have significantly contributed to the rise in performance at the London Stadium.
