EPL: Wolves Edge Closer to Premier League Survival with Narrow Win Over West Ham

Wolves took a huge step towards securing their Premier League status with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over West Ham, courtesy of Larsen's strike.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have taken a huge step towards securing their Premier League safety with a hard-fought 1-0 win over West Ham United. This victory marks their fifth win in the last seven home games against the Hammers, a testament to their strong home form.

Both teams began the match with a sense of urgency, knowing that the final quarter of the season would be crucial in determining their fate. West Ham's Evan Ferguson had an early chance to score, but his attempt to tap in Jarrod Bowen's low cross was unsuccessful. This near-miss seemed to spark the Wolves into action, as Toti's header from Rayan Ait-Nouri's free-kick forced a fine save from Alphonse Areola.

The Wolves' pressure eventually paid off when Jorgen Strand Larsen scored the decisive goal, his second since the international break. Larsen received a loose ball on the edge of the area and slammed it into the near post, with a slight deflection off Maximilian Kilman. This goal proved to be the difference-maker, as Wolves held on for a crucial 1-0 win.

Wolves continued to threaten, with Marshall Munetsi smashing against the bar just minutes later, after being set up by Jorgen Strand Larsen. Despite this, West Ham began to find their footing, forcing some chances of their own. However, Graham Potter opted to make significant changes at halftime, which led to an improvement in the visitors' overall play.

Although West Ham's changes had a positive impact, they still struggled to get their forward players involved, and both Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Strand Larsen missed opportunities. This indicated that the second half would not be a one-sided affair. In fact, West Ham had to wait until the final 15 minutes to cause significant trouble, with Lucas Paqueta's cross being headed onto the bar by Niclas Füllkrug, and Edson Alvarez scuffing the rebound wide.

 

Wolves make it back-to-back PL wins 🐺#WOLWHU pic.twitter.com/kZATOasqWo

— Premier League (@premierleague) April 1, 2025

West Ham's best chance came in the 89th minute, as Füllkrug cleverly slipped through Tomáš Souček, who disappointingly fired into the side netting with only José Sá to beat. Wolves managed to hold on for the win, and their 12-point cushion now provides almost complete certainty of their Premier League survival. This is especially true given that none of the bottom three sides have won a league match since February 1st. With their safety all but secured, Wolves can focus on their remaining matches without significant pressure.