---
title: "Nuno’s Millwall warning proved painfully right"
canonical: "https://readwestham.com/2026/09/21/nuno-millwall-warning-set-pieces-west-ham/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "James Chettle"
section: "Feature Writers"
published: "2026-09-21T14:00:00Z"
modified: "2026-09-21T14:00:00Z"
---

# Nuno’s Millwall warning proved painfully right

West Ham United were warned about Millwall’s direct threat before Saturday’s derby at The Den.

Ninety minutes later, Nuno Espírito Santo had been given plenty of evidence about why.

West Ham recovered from a dreadful first half to secure a 2-2 Championship draw, with Mohamadou Kanté and Konstantinos Mavropanos scoring after the break.

But both Millwall goals originated from the same source.

Lyndon Dykes’ long throws caused repeated problems inside the West Ham penalty area and exposed a defensive issue Nuno now has three weeks to address.

[Milwall 2-2 West Ham | Championship Extended Highlights (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/r5Wtwo0P-H0?feature=oembed)

## Millwall expose West Ham weakness from long throws

The warning signs became costly after 16 minutes.

Dykes launched a long throw into the West Ham penalty area and the Hammers failed to clear the danger.

Mark Sykes eventually got a shot away, forcing Mads Hermansen into a save, but Millwall kept the attack alive and Caleb Taylor forced the loose ball home.

West Ham were temporarily without Konstantinos Mavropanos, who was receiving treatment, but the inability to deal with the second phase proved costly.

The pattern returned immediately before half-time.

Another Dykes long throw caused problems inside the penalty area before Camiel Neghli converted from close range to send Millwall into the break 2-0 ahead.

West Ham therefore conceded **twice from situations originating with the same Millwall weapon**.

That is difficult to dismiss as an isolated mistake.

## Why West Ham struggled with Millwall’s direct approach

The problem was not simply the initial delivery.

Long throws are designed to turn a controlled defensive situation into something closer to a set piece.

Winning the first contact is important, but controlling what happens afterwards can be equally significant.

West Ham struggled to do that.

For Millwall’s opener, Hermansen actually prevented the initial effort from becoming a goal. The danger remained alive, however, and Taylor eventually capitalised.

The second again came after West Ham were unable to kill the attack created by Dykes’ delivery.

It reflected the wider pattern of a first half in which Millwall repeatedly made the contest physical and uncomfortable.

West Ham had plenty of possession across the match but were forced to spend much of the opening period reacting to the hosts rather than imposing themselves.

## Nuno’s half-time changes transform West Ham

The contrast after half-time was significant.

Nuno introduced Kanté and Pablo at the interval, with Kyle Walker-Peters and Joel Piroe withdrawn.

Kanté eventually dragged West Ham back into the contest with a superb long-range strike before Mavropanos headed home Manor Solomon’s delivery to equalise.

The midfielder’s afternoon subsequently ended with a late red card, meaning [Kanté is set to miss West Ham’s first game after the international break](https://readwestham.com/2026/09/21/mohamadou-kante-red-card-millwall-suspension/).

West Ham deserve credit for recovering from 2-0 down at The Den.

The comeback also supports [Arne Engels’ assessment of the mentality shown by Nuno’s squad](https://readwestham.com/2026/09/21/engels-sends-west-ham-message-after-millwall-comeback/).

But the second-half response should not completely obscure what happened before it.

## International break gives West Ham time to find solution

Championship opponents will study what works against West Ham.

Millwall have now provided particularly obvious footage.

Two long throws led to two goals, while West Ham struggled with the physical and second-ball battle during their poorest period of the match.

That does not mean every opponent will suddenly possess a weapon comparable to Dykes’ delivery.

It does mean Nuno and his coaching staff have a clear situation to work on during the international break.

West Ham do not return to Championship action until Queens Park Rangers visit London Stadium on Friday, 9 October.

The full post-break schedule can be found in our [West Ham next five fixtures guide](https://readwestham.com/2026/09/21/west-ham-next-five-fixtures-after-millwall-draw/).

West Ham showed impressive character to repair the damage at The Den.

Preventing opponents from creating that damage in the first place is the next challenge.