Nuno Espírito Santo praised West Ham United’s substitutes after Edvin Austbø and Mohamadou Kanté came off the bench to score in Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Derby County.
Joël Piroe had opened the scoring after six minutes at London Stadium before Austbø and Kanté struck late to secure West Ham’s second Championship victory in five days.
The result also delivered Nuno’s first league clean sheet of the season and followed Tuesday’s 4-2 victory over Wolves.
Speaking after the match, Nuno described it as a “very good, very positive week” for his side after two much-needed results.
Nuno delighted with West Ham clean sheet
West Ham’s attacking quality eventually produced three goals, but the defensive improvement was arguably just as important.
Derby failed to register a shot on target as Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos helped Nuno’s side finally shut out a Championship opponent.
Nuno said:
“We didn’t give them too many chances, which is really positive, and to achieve a clean sheet is always a boost of confidence for us.”
That was a significant improvement from the 4-2 victory over Wolves, when West Ham’s attacking display was undermined by another two goals conceded.
Our West Ham 3-0 Derby match report details how much more controlled Saturday’s performance became.
Supporters can follow the improving run through our permanent West Ham fixtures and results page.
Austbø and Kanté deliver from West Ham bench
West Ham remained only one goal ahead deep into the second half.
Austbø then struck his first goal since completing his £10million move from Viking before Academy midfielder Kanté produced an excellent stoppage-time finish.
Nuno was particularly pleased with the effect of his changes.
“Of course we wanted to end the game sooner, but in the end I was so happy for the players who came off the bench, they brought energy and scored to help the team.”
The impact reinforced the increased depth available to Nuno following West Ham’s busy transfer window.
We have already looked at why Austbø’s immediate impact has handed Nuno another selection decision.
The club’s current options can also be tracked through our West Ham squad guide.
Nuno warns West Ham still need to improve
Two consecutive victories have changed the mood around London Stadium, but Nuno was unwilling to suggest West Ham are already the finished product.
He said:
“We improved on our combinations today, but we still need to be better. It will take time.”
Nuno believes that understanding should improve as West Ham’s numerous summer arrivals spend more time together.
He added:
“We have to repeat things again and again. The new players need their confidence.”
That process will be tested immediately.
West Ham travel to Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday before returning to London Stadium to face Wrexham on Friday.
Nuno therefore has little recovery or preparation time between matches, although two victories and a first clean sheet provide a considerably stronger platform than West Ham possessed one week ago.
