West Ham’s return to the Championship did not begin as many supporters expected.
After suffering relegation from the Premier League last season, the Hammers were widely tipped to challenge for an immediate return to the top flight under Nuno Espírito Santo.
Three games without a win quickly raised questions over whether that expectation had been misplaced.
But the mood has changed significantly.
A 4-2 victory over Wolves sparked an impressive response, with West Ham following it up by beating Derby County and Bolton Wanderers. Nuno’s side have now put together three consecutive Championship wins and climbed to the top of the table.
So, have West Ham finally turned the corner?
Expected To Make An Instant Return
Last season was one to forget for West Ham.
Relegation ended their long stay in the Premier League and left Nuno with the task of rebuilding a squad capable of competing for promotion at the first attempt.
There were still reasons for optimism.
Nuno had previously guided Wolverhampton Wanderers out of the Championship and into the Premier League in 2018, while West Ham retained several players with significant top-flight experience.
However, their opening results did little to justify the early promotion expectations.
West Ham drew 2-2 with Burnley, lost 2-1 at home to Charlton Athletic and were then held to a 1-1 draw by Watford.
Three games produced only two points for a side featuring established players such as Konstantinos Mavropanos and captain Jarrod Bowen.
Pressure was beginning to build.
The Wolves Win Looks Like A Turning Point
West Ham then welcomed Wolves to London Stadium.
The visitors arrived in strong form after taking seven points from their opening three Championship matches and were also expected to challenge near the top of the division.
It made the performance that followed even more significant.
West Ham led 2-0 after goals from Divine Mukasa and Bowen before Marshall Munetsi pulled one back shortly before half-time.
Rather than allowing Wolves back into the contest, the Hammers responded.
Mukasa scored his second before Mavropanos added a fourth. The defender later scored an own goal, but West Ham still secured an important 4-2 victory.
At the time, it felt like the kind of result that could kick-start their season.
The matches since have strengthened that argument.
West Ham followed the Wolves victory with a convincing 3-0 win over Derby County before beating Bolton Wanderers 3-2 in a dramatic away game.
Bowen scored twice at Bolton, including the winning goal, as Nuno’s side made it three league victories in succession.
From two points after three matches, West Ham suddenly had genuine momentum.
New Signings Could Make The Difference
Relegation inevitably brought major changes to the squad.
Players including Mateus Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville and El Hadji Malick Diouf departed during the summer, with football transfer odds frequently reflecting speculation surrounding a number of West Ham players.
Replacing that quality was always going to be crucial.
West Ham responded by reshaping the squad with players including Arne Engels and Manor Solomon from Tottenham Hotspur.
Engels has already begun to make an impact in midfield, while West Ham also added greater depth across several areas of Nuno’s squad.
That depth could become increasingly important over a long Championship season.
The division demands consistency as much as individual quality, particularly during periods when fixtures arrive every few days.
West Ham now appear better equipped to cope with those demands than they did during the opening weeks of the campaign.
Have West Ham Turned The Corner?
It is still too early to declare West Ham’s problems solved.
The Championship season is long, competitive and capable of changing quickly.
However, the picture looks considerably healthier than it did after the draw at Watford.
Three consecutive victories have transformed the early mood around the club, while the Wolves result increasingly looks like the moment that triggered the turnaround.
More importantly, West Ham have shown different ways to win.
They produced four goals against Wolves, controlled Derby in a 3-0 victory and then demonstrated resilience to come from behind and win at Bolton.
That variety should encourage Nuno.
The challenge now is making sure this run becomes the beginning of a sustained promotion push rather than simply a positive week.
West Ham may not have completed their turnaround yet, but they have finally given supporters reason to believe one is underway.
