Nuno Espirito Santo ‘positive’ about West Ham’s relegation fight after draw

By Rachel Steinberg, Press Association

Nuno Espirito Santo warned West Ham’s relegation fight was nowhere near over after they secured an important point in a goalless draw at Crystal Palace.

It moved the Hammers two clear of Tottenham while also confirming Nuno’s former club Wolves’ relegation to the Championship.

Their battle resumes on Saturday with Everton’s visit to the London Stadium, and Nuno is confident his men have the mental fortitude to see out their survival bid.

“Every day is important and it is going to be a fight until the end,” he said. “I think (we have the characters).

“I think we’re proving that we don’t give up. We are committed. You can see today, even though it was not the perfect game for us, it was a game that we fight.

“We were organised, committed, had team spirit, the basics that I consider to keep fighting until the end.

“The players, they are aware and they are giving it all, so I am positive about it.”

West Ham could have gone into the break behind but Brennan Johnson missed a free header and it took a quick reaction from Dean Henderson to keep out Konstantinos Mavropanos’ header from point-blank range late in the first half.

Nuno added: “Palace defended very well. Hard to find the gaps against that back five, but (we were) better, better, better, better, and there’s also a goalkeeper that made an incredible save, so we have to credit them.”

Palace are now just five points behind seventh-placed Brentford with a game in hand on the Bees and everyone in between, though their more straightforward path to Europe remains via the Conference League.

The Eagles next face Liverpool before travelling to Poland to take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their European semi-final.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner insisted his decision to let his players celebrate securing their place in the final four in Florence on Thursday had no effect on their effort on Monday night.

He was pleased his side disproved the belief some held before this contest that Palace’s European ambitions would draw their focus away from the domestic campaign and give West Ham an advantage.

Glasner said: “Maybe they were expecting us to be a little bit fatigued and not focused, and I (told the players), ‘It’s you who have to give the answer’. It’s not important what I want, it’s the players, and I think, yes, they showed it.

“They gave the right answer that yes, they are focused, that they are committed, that they are really willing to work hard until the end.”

Adam Wharton, who was forced off in the first half against Fiorentina, was absent from Glasner’s squad, but the Palace boss was optimistic the midfielder would be available for the Anfield trip.