Goals win games, goalscorers save managers, and Nuno Espirito Santo could not thank his three West Ham United heroes enough as they drew level with Burnley in the Premier League table.
It is fair to say former Newcastle striker Callum Wilson was a contentious signing when he moved to the capital in July.
A 33-year-old, free-agent centre-forward was not the marquee striker many fans wanted. For many, bringing Wilson to West Ham United for nothing showcased a brazen lack of ambition from an unpopular board.
And, in truth, they maybe had a point.
A source told Hammers News at the time, though, that Wilson’s West Ham contract was heavily ‘incentivised’ by appearance and goal bonuses. During Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Burnley, then, the former England international not only helped his team record successive league wins, he also gave his pay packet a healthy bump.
One only his third Premier League start of the season, Wilson scored his second goal.
Kyle Walker-Peters, another free-agent who hardly put goosebumps on arms when he arrived from relegated Southampton, would wrap up another three-point haul late on. And while Tomas Soucek has his critics, what the West Ham veteran lacks in style and silk, he more than makes up for his invaluable contributions in the final third.
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty ImagesNuno Espirito Santo hails Callum Wilson as West Ham United beat Burnley
Is Tomas Soucek now a bonafide West Ham legend? Performances like this – entering the fray at 1-1 and ending the game with a goal and an assist-of-sorts – make a mockery of suggestions that Graham Potter had doubts about his ability to effect top-flight matches heading towards his 31st birthday.
Only Lucas Paqueta has more goals this season than Soucek.
And, in a beaming post-match interview, Nuno was keen to remind their critics that the most integral part of football as sticking the ball in the back of the net. In Wilson and Soucek, West Ham have two players who have made an entire career out of doing just that.
“Callum and Tomas, they have this knowledge inside the box to occupy the right spaces. I’m delighted [to see both of them find the net],” Nuno said. “Callum, our striker, needs to score. His confidence is growing.
“It’s a good day for us. A very good day.”
Substitutes Tomas Soucek and Kyle Walker-Peters made the difference
Callum Wilson was passed fit to start against Burnley, having initially been an injury doubt.
Nuno has also spoken frequently about the need for a ‘squad’, rather than just relying on his starting XI. Supersub Soucek and fellow second-half introductee Walker-Peters more than made their mark on an afternoon in which Soungoutou Magassa and Igor Julio also helped shore things up at the other end.
“It was Tomas and Kyle [as well as Wilson] who won us the game. And that shows that we’re going to need everybody,” the Portuguese adds. “This unity, this feeling that we are slowly building among ourselves.
“I think we can see some improvements in our boys. This is what we’ve been focused on individually, but we cannot [get carried away].
“There were moments, especially in the beginning of the game, that I think we didn’t start well. We let Burnley have the ball, so it’s hard to adjust. We can see it once again.
“It’s a positive to react to the goal the way we did it, immediately with offensive actions, creating chances and scoring, but it’s something that we have to look at as a team. It’s not always going to be possible to react, so we have to try and change that situation.
“But overall, we’re delighted for the boys.
“Football has proven that we cannot think that. We are taking small steps towards the direction that we have to be as a team to be more organised, more resilient.
“Today, the boys did it. Again, there were tough moments in the end, but we got ourselves a good result.”