Nuno admits ‘It will be a fight to the finish’ as West Ham get a point at Crystal Palace
West Ham held Crystal Palace 0-0 at Selhurst Park on Monday night in a battle that did little to ease tensions at the bottom of the Premier League.
The point leaves West Ham deep in the relegation battle with five games to go, while Palace have been unable to build on the momentum built up by their recent European exploits in the Conference League.
Nuno Espirito Santo acknowledged the difficult task his side face but took encouragement from their defensive performance.
“We played well.
“It is difficult to play with them. They have brought great success. It is difficult because they are good players. You cannot find spaces. They are dangerous in counter-attacks. We were strong. It will be a fight until the end.”
Bowen: ‘Team spirit will get us through’
Captain Jarrod Bowen admitted that West Ham should have been able to defend but insisted that a point against a team in this form was not in vain.
“They are a very good team from Europe. We knew it would be difficult to come here and we would have to defend well. To be honest we had other chances to get in one day. We wanted to come here and win, but in the end I don’t think the point is the worst thing in the world.
“Quality alone won’t get you out, it’s team spirit and fighting and I think we did that with a clean sheet, we take a point from the situation we’re in, we can’t rely on the results or look at everything that’s happening, we have to focus on ourselves and keep fighting.”
‘Every minute we can score’
Midfielder Matheus Fernandes has emphasized the collective determination in the West Ham camp, pointing to recent weeks as evidence that his side are fighting for survival.
“The first half was better than the second, we had good chances, it’s one point, we will continue with the next game. Every game is important and we have to be ready.
“We are focused on our team, the other games don’t matter, we need to do our job, we have a great next game that will show our quality as we have had in the past weeks, we are ready for the team battle.
“I think we show the mentality and fight until the end. We know that every minute we can score goals, our players can change the game.”
Nuno has made it clear that his team will not be disturbed by what is happening around them in the table as the season reaches its climax.
“It will go all the way, for sure. Not only at the bottom but at the top. This season has been very tight. We don’t give up points, we play games. We still have a job to do and move on.”
