Nuno Espirito Santo believes West Ham were unlucky not to leave Old Trafford with a win after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Manchester United.
Soungoutou Magassa’s 83rd-minute equaliser salvaged West Ham a point after Diogo Dalot had put the hosts in front shortly before the hour.
Since Nuno’s first league game in charge of the Hammers on September 29, only Aston Villa (nine) have won more points from losing positions than West Ham’s eight in the top-flight.
Nuno is still waiting for his first away win in charge of the club, with West Ham’s last road victory coming against Nottingham Forest when the 51-year-old was in charge in August.
However, a strong comeback that ensured they did not leave Manchester empty-handed left him feeling positive about their recent progress.
“We should be proud of the work of the boys. They work really hard to contain Man Utd,” he told Sky Sports. “We went for the game. The boys worked really hard. We have to be glad.
“I was happy [when the equaliser went in]. I was very, very happy because I think we were on top of the game in that moment; we had momentum.
“It’s an important result because it’s a tough place to come. We are proud that we achieved something. It could have been three [points]. I felt we had good momentum – Man Utd, of course, also had some chances.
“But it doesn’t change anything. We are building, always looking for a better performance. We will recover faster for Brighton. When we have a good result, a good performance, the legs recover faster. So, we’re going to have a tough match on Sunday, but with a better recovery.”
It was Magassa’s first goal for West Ham, and he became the 179th different player to score a Premier League goal for the club (excluding own goals). No side has more different goalscorers in the competition’s history (level with Tottenham).
He had also missed a chance earlier in the second half when the score was 0-0, firing his effort from the right into the side netting.
Though West Ham failed to move out of the relegation zone – they are two points behind 17th-place Leeds United – Magassa feels this was a vital point.
“The feeling is amazing,” he told Sky Sports. “We played a good game as a team.
“We all fight for everyone. I’m happy to score my first goal in the Premier League.
“It was a very good point, an important point for the team in the championship, and we’ve got to fight. I want to play, to give my best for the fans, the club, the coach and my team-mates, and I want to continue like that.”
