For West Ham United, there has often been one main approach when it comes to winning games: by any means necessary. It does not seem to matter how the points are secured, so long as the Hammers leave the game as victors.
The 400-mile round trip to South Wales was already a chance to set the tone for May. Both teams were enjoying good runs of form; the Swans had won four games in a row, and West Ham was seven games unbeaten. The game at the Liberty Stadium played out exactly as it was never going to be easy, with the extra intensity and purpose adding to the mood. West Ham managed to scrape a 1-0 win thanks to Divine Mukasa’s goal, but it could have been a completely different result had it not been for some luck.
This game served as a gentle reminder that the Championship is not an easy league to get out of, and there are no real easy games. Both Swansea and West Ham could have scored some goals on the day – but the result went in the away side’s favour at the end of the day.
Helping Each Other Out
Some former and even current West Ham players have also plied their trade with Swansea. They have a lot to be thankful for when they look back at their tenures in Wales, and for some, they made major strides in their playing careers. Here are some examples:
Frank Lampard, the son of Hammers legend Frank Sr., joined Swansea City on loan during the 1995/96 season. He played nine league games and scored one goal before he returned to the East End. Lampard would spend six years in claret and blue, later joining Chelsea and establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in the game’s history. Since he retired from playing, he has become a manager and currently serves as the head coach of Coventry City.
Łukasz Fabiański Shot stopper Łukasz Fabiański became the first Polish player to sign for West Ham when he joined from Swansea in 2018. He went on to be named Hammer of the Year after his first season at the London Stadium, and he was named London Football Awards Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021. He retired in 2026, aged 41, having played 195 games for the club.
André Ayew: Ghanaian forward André Ayew joined West Ham from Swansea in the Summer of 2016 for a then-record fee of £20,000,000. He played 43 league games and scored nine times, rejoining Swansea in January 2018. He has also played in France, Turkey and Qatar.
Flynn Downes: For lifelong Hammers fan Flynn Downes, leaving Wales to head back to East London was a no-brainer. He was a part of the Conference League-winning side of the 2022/23 season, and he now plays for Southampton. He returns to the London Stadium this weekend as a member of the Saints.
It’s Always The Hard Way
It goes without saying that it is not easy being a West Ham fan. It is not because of last season’s relegation or the lack of investment over the years or even the 60-plus strikers the club has signed since 2010. The issue cuts deeper than that: it is the fact that West Ham’s players never win in the easiest possible fashion.
The 1-0 scoreline was as narrow as it sounds, because it was just that. West Ham scored a goal before the break after it had experienced a scare, with Swansea defender Ben Cabango hitting the crossbar from close range and seeing his effort bounce on the line. He repeated this in the second half to add to his side’s frustrations, and Swansea had seven shots off target throughout the 90.
West Ham also made their fans feel the anguish due to a lack of clinical finishing. Strikers Pablo Felipe and Taty Castellanos both got into strong positions to score, but their efforts were fired straight at goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux. Both players had been expected to make the 2026/27 campaign a breakout season for themselves, but they have hit the back of the net just once in the league this season. This has caused questions to be asked about their competency – and adds to the belief that any striker who comes to West Ham is “cursed.”
Brick Wall At The Back
North American sports fans have developed a theory that the defensive element of a team is the one that ultimately wins games. West Ham’s defensive display against Swansea was a testament to this mantra, and the numbers that come with it are praiseworthy.
Mads Hermansen has kept back-to-back clean sheets thanks to his defence’s solidity. Centre-backs Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos each won 100% of their tackles, with Kilman adding 15 defensive contributions on the day and increasing his total this season to 88. Loanee Morato is slowly convincing fans that he should be made a permanent signing, and Joël Veltman’s veteran leadership allows him to command the backline.
The solidity of the defence is just as, if not more, important in West Ham’s quest to get back to the Premier League. Stopping goals is no different from scoring them, as long as you do hit the back of the net.
Related Stories
