West Ham United were unfortunate to concede a penalty against Wolverhampton Wanderers as Nuno Espírito Santo’s side suffered a damaging blow at Molineux Stadium.
That is the view of former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett, who told Football Insider that referee Peter Bankes acted too hastily during Wolves’ 3–0 win on Saturday, 3 January.
Wolves Capitalise as West Ham Fail to Respond
Mateus Mane was Wolves’ standout performer, scoring the third goal of the afternoon after earlier strikes from Jhon Arias and Hwang Hee-chan. West Ham failed to respond, as Wolves claimed their first league victory of the campaign.
However, the match was not without controversy.
Penalty Decisions Spark Debate
There were several flashpoints throughout the game, most notably when Crysencio Summerville appeared to be bundled over in the penalty area by Yerson Mosquera — an incident that went unpunished.
At the other end, it was the home side who benefited from a spot-kick.
Kilman Error Leads to Disputed Spot-Kick
West Ham defender Max Kilman came under heavy criticism from supporters after a costly mistake forced Soungoutou Magassa into a challenge on Mateus Mane.
Despite the contact appearing minimal, Peter Bankes pointed to the spot, a decision that stunned many watching, particularly after West Ham had been denied a penalty moments earlier.
Hwang Hee-chan — despite missing his last penalty against the Hammers in the Carabao Cup — calmly converted from 12 yards to make it 2–0, further increasing pressure on Nuno Espírito Santo.
Hackett: ‘It Was Really Soft’
While the controversial decision was unlikely to change the final outcome, Keith Hackett questioned whether the penalty should have been awarded at all.
Speaking on Football Insider’s The Final Whistle, Hackett said:
“I didn’t think it was a penalty. I thought it was too soft.
If I were to award a penalty kick, I wanted to be 100 per cent certain.
If it wasn’t, and from the heart, they weren’t getting one.
I thought it was really soft, and I’m surprised it was given.”
Pressure Mounts on Nuno Ahead of Forest Clash
Instead of taking all three points in a must-win fixture, Nuno Espírito Santo remains under intense pressure in East London.
West Ham now face a crucial encounter against Nuno’s former club Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, 6 January — a match that could prove pivotal for his future at the London Stadium.
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