West Ham United have edged closer to safety after a 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
A quick-fire reply from Konstantinos Mavropanos cancelled out Bernardo Silva’s opener as West Ham United moved out of the bottom three in the Premier League table.
Who was West Ham’s MOTM vs Man City and why?!
Konstantinos Mavropanos celebrates during West Ham United v Manchester City - Premier League
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
It was another spirited defensive display from Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, who now move ahead of Nottingham Forest and level on points with Tottenham.
Here are five things that Hammers News learned.
Premier League safety in sight
At long last, West Ham have their heads above the water in the Premier League.
For the first time since early December, Nuno’s side are out of the bottom three.
Optimist or Realist? Share your number and defend it in the comments
A graphic asking West Ham United fans how confident they are of Premie League survivial on a scale of 1-10.
Credit: Getty Images/James Gill – Danehouse
Nothing is achieved yet, of course, but it does feel significant ahead of the season run-in. West Ham no longer have just momentum in the relegation, they have a position to defend.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
Declan Rice closes in on Premier League title
Former West Ham skipper Declan Rice would no doubt have been watching on with joy as some of his ex-teammates threw their bodies on the line here in east London.
Indeed, City failing to win that means that Rice’s Arsenal are nine points clear at the top.
It’s increasingly difficult to imagine a scenario in which they blow it from here.
Rice may finally be on course to win his first trophy since leaving West Ham in the first place!
Jean-Clair Todibo playing for West Ham United against Manchester City.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Nuno’s tactical flexibility
You won’t find many West Ham United fans who will argue that their squad is perfect in its composition, but the tactical tweak that Nuno made underlined the strength in depth that he can boast.
Quite how much his decision to deploy a back three was enforced by Crysencio Summerville’s injury is up for debate.
Whatever the reasoning, it worked. Jean-Clair Todibo was excellent alongside the stoic Axel Disasi and the imperious Mavropanos.
Such flexibility is another string that West Ham have in their bow in this relegation battle.
West Ham United record more sprints than Man City
Before the game, Pep Guardiola said that both West Ham and Man City were “desperate” for points.
Well, the Irons certainly ran like it. Of the 114.3km the team covered out on that pitch, 7.72% of it came through sprints.
Finish this sentence!
Mavropanos' performance is the best by a West Ham defender since… ?
West Ham United's Konstantinos Mavropanos celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester City at London Stadium on March 14, 2026 in London, United Kingdom.
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
City covered more ground (117.82km) but with a lower sprint percentage (7.38%).
One might expect that when a team dominates the ball but it’s brilliant to see West Ham putting such an energetic performance – especially after they were taken past 120 minutes by Brentford in the FA Cup earlier this week.
West Ham United’s fighting spirit cannot be questioned
Even a few weeks ago, it’s not hard to imagine West Ham crumbling.
Still, the manner with which they responded to Silva’s bizarre goal was very impressive. Their heads did not drop and they were worthy of their goal.
This is a team who are scraping for every single point left this season. Whether the same can be said about their relegation rivals – specifically ones hailing from the same city – is up for debate…
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox