Slowly but surely, the treatment room is becoming that little bit emptier by the week at West Ham United. Niclas Fullkrug is back, Freddie Potts too, and Callum Wilson is performing at the peak of his powers.
Fan favourite Potts appeared to be a pre-Bournemouth doubt. But, much to Nuno Espirito Santo’s relief, the academy graduate was passed fit to start, a fortnight after he picked up a knock against Burnley.
The academy graduate did not appear to be feeling any lingering after-effects either. This was exactly the sort of industrious, aggressive performance which has rapidly become Freddie Potts’ trademark at West Ham United.
Making his first start of 2025/26, the shoulder injury which restricted Luis Guilherme’s involvement during the final weeks of the Graham Potter era is thankfully a thing of the past. The Brazilian made his first start of the campaign, alongside Igor Julio.
And while speculation swirls around Niclas Fullkrug, a lack of attacking depth means Nuno is in no position to sideline the much-maligned German until January arrives.
Though Fullkrug will be lucky if he is picked to start another Premier League match ahead of Callum Wilson at this rate.
Nuno Espirito Santo explains the thinking behind Callum Wilson’s West Ham United opener
Wilson was electrifying on his return to the club he powered to Premier League promotion a decade earlier.
While Alphonse Areola broke West Ham’s 11-year wait for a goalkeeping assist – the first since Jussi Jaaskelainen set up Mo Diame against Fulham in 2014 – Wilson’s rasping first and his brilliantly inventive second will have left no one in any doubt about the identity of Nuno’s most effective centre-forward.
Speaking to BBC Sport at full-time, Nuno suggested that West Ham’s 12th minute opener was something they had planned pre-match. A high, swirling Areola punt which drifted over Marcos Senesi in nightmarish conditions. An a Wilson snapshot which left Bournemouth keeper Djordje Petrovic flailing.
“We knew that its hard to defend these kind of balls,” Nuno said. “Straight, direct, balls, in these circumstances.
“Callum did magnificently.”
The 33-year-old poacher has now scored four goals in four league starts this season. He is also just eight away now from reaching a century of goals in England’s top-flight.
Nuno expresses regret over Tomas Soucek introduction at Bournemouth
Eyebrows were raised from a raincoat-dominated, shivering away end when Wilson was substituted only seven minutes into the second-half.
Nuno insists this was a tactical decision rather than anything injury-enforced, though he accepts that the introduction of Tomas Soucek did not have the same effect as against Newcastle and Burnley before the international break.
“No, no no no,” Nuno said when asked if Wilson had picked up a knock, as emphatic a response as the fans could wish for.
“Maybe I took him off too soon! I was trying just to have another presence with Tomas there [instead]. It worked before.”
West Ham boss reflects on a game of two halves
Marcus Tavernier halved the deficit when he scored from the spot on 69 minutes. Max Kilman was lucky to avoid a ‘clear red card’, in the words of Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola, when he handled the ball inside the area.
Enes Unal then drifted away from Kilman to convert cooly past an outstanding Alphonse Areola in the visitors’ goal.
“It’s a very tough place to come,” Nuno adds, West Ham now unbeaten in their last 10 matches against the Cherries.
“The first half was us. We took advantage of the straight ball, of the second ball. We managed the tempo of the game, we managed to control Bournemouth, and we achieved a good lead.
“In the second half, Bournemouth did exactly the same as we did [in the first]. They managed better the circumstances of the game, we couldn’t get out, they put us against the ropes, they engaged five players in the last line.”
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