Soucek: This is the most difficult moment; we must fight with our lives on the line.
2026-01-07 01:05
In the 21st round of the 2025-26 Premier League season, West Ham United lost 1-2 at home to Nottingham Forest, and are now 7 points away from escaping the relegation zone.
West Ham United's Czech veteran Tomáš Souček admitted after the match that the team is facing its worst situation in six years since joining the club.
Returning to the starting lineup, Soucek forced an own goal with a header in the opening stages, giving West Ham an early lead. However, the second half saw a dramatic turn of events. After Cricenceo Somerville's goal was disallowed by VAR, Nottingham Forest quickly equalized and then secured a last-minute penalty to take all three points.
In a post-match interview, Soucek reflected on the game, saying frankly, "That disallowed goal was the turning point of the game, and the feeling of losing was terrible."
Faced with a grim relegation battle, the 30-year-old national team captain showed a sense of responsibility in a post-match interview: "It's painful for me, and I feel a deep sense of self-blame when we don't win."
“When I first came to the club, we were also deep in the relegation zone, but this is the worst and most difficult situation I have ever experienced here. Now is the time to show our fighting spirit; nobody wants to see the team relegated.”
"We must examine ourselves; no one is above the team. We must fight to the end in every game from now on and win with a strong mentality."
While West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo has revitalized Soucek, the team's defensive resilience remains lacking. With the points gap widening, West Ham desperately needs to regroup in the coming weeks, leveraging Soucek's leadership experience to motivate younger players and launch a points-scoring spree.
