West Ham were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City at the weekend. Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo admitted his disappointment at the Hammers latest defeat, but pointed to improvements after the half time break as a source of encouragement as the club heads into a busy festive period.

The Hammers fell short in the opening stages at the Etihad. Early goals put Pep Guardiola’s side firmly in control and left West Ham struggling to find a way back into the game before half time.

In the second half, there was certainly a response from the Hammers as they created chances and showed greater intent going forward. Missed opportunities would ultimately prove costly as the home side found a third and wrapped up the three points with 20 minutes left to play.

For West Ham, attention now turns towards a demanding festive run in where they play four games in eleven days. This run sees Nuno Espirito Santo’s side face Fulham, Brighton, bottom placed Wolves and Nottingham Forest. It is a run of games that presents the Hammers with a great opportunity to pick up points and build some momentum as they look to climb the Premier League table.

Speaking after the game, Nuno admitted his side made life harder for themselves in the first half against City, but acknowledged what he felt was a clear improvement after the break.

“We conceded really early, we made things hard in terms of the game plan, the way we wanted to do it. The first spells of the game were not good, we lost balls, we didn’t go out. We were much improved in the second half, much improved. Eventually, with one of those chances, we could change the game around and get us back in the game.” said the Hammers boss.

Nuno also highlighted the difficulty of the challenge posed by City, while praising his players’ belief and the backing they received from the away end. “It’s very hard to play against City, they are a very good team. The quality of their players is difficult in our defensive tasks. But the belief was there, and especially with the support of our fans, they were incredible.”

Looking ahead to the club’s next game at home to Fulham, Nuno underlined just how important the backing of the London Stadium crowd will be as the Hammers look to close the gap on the team’s around them. “I humbly ask them (the fans) to support us at the London Stadium, because we have to realise how important those games are for us.”

The Hammers boss went on to add: “We have a lot of improvement to be made. Unfortunately, the last game at home (against Aston Villa) wasn’t to be, but we are positive.”