“THEY CHEATED IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND NOW THEY’RE CHEATING IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP AGAIN” — NUNO ESPÍRITO SANTO FUMES AFTER 2-2 DRAW WITH BURNLEY

West Ham United manager Nuno Espírito Santo was left furious after his side surrendered a two-goal lead against Burnley in a dramatic Championship opener at Turf Moor.

The Hammers appeared to be cruising towards the perfect start to life in the second tier after goals from Maximilian Kilman and Manor Solomon put them 2-0 ahead.

But Burnley produced an extraordinary late comeback, with Zian Flemming scoring twice to rescue a point for the Clarets and leave Nuno facing difficult questions after the final whistle.

West Ham had started the afternoon in impressive fashion.

Just ten minutes into the contest, Kilman rose highest from a corner to give the visitors the breakthrough.

The goal gave Nuno’s side exactly the start they would have wanted as West Ham looked determined to put their Premier League relegation behind them and immediately establish themselves as one of the Championship’s promotion favourites.

Burnley, however, refused to disappear.

The hosts created opportunities and gradually began to increase the pressure, but West Ham’s defence managed to keep them at bay.

The visitors then appeared to deliver what could have been the decisive blow in the 72nd minute.

Manor Solomon, making his West Ham debut, finished a clever attacking move to double the advantage and put Nuno’s team within touching distance of victory.

At 2-0, very few supporters inside Turf Moor would have expected what happened next.

FLEMMING SPARKS INCREDIBLE COMEBACK

Burnley suddenly found another gear.

With West Ham attempting to protect their two-goal advantage, the Clarets began throwing bodies forward and eventually found a route back into the contest.

Zian Flemming converted from the penalty spot to make it 2-1, giving the home supporters renewed belief.

The pressure immediately intensified.

West Ham struggled to regain control of the match, while Burnley sensed that another opportunity could arrive.

And it did.

Deep into stoppage time, Flemming struck again to complete an astonishing comeback and send Turf Moor into celebration.

The final whistle confirmed a 2-2 draw.

For West Ham, it felt much more like two points dropped than one point gained.

The Hammers had controlled the scoreboard for more than 80 minutes but somehow walked away without the victory.

NUNO’S FRUSTRATION

Nuno Espírito Santo now has to explain how his side allowed a seemingly comfortable 2-0 lead to disappear so dramatically.

The Portuguese manager remained at West Ham despite the club’s relegation from the Premier League and has been tasked with guiding the Hammers straight back into the top flight.

That made the opening fixture particularly important.

West Ham knew that Burnley would provide a difficult test, especially at Turf Moor, but going two goals ahead gave Nuno’s team a huge opportunity to make an early statement.

Instead, defensive mistakes and Burnley’s relentless late pressure turned the match completely on its head.

The result also brings back uncomfortable memories of last season, when West Ham struggled to turn promising positions into consistent results during their relegation campaign.

Both West Ham and Burnley were relegated from the Premier League last season, with the two clubs now beginning their Championship campaigns with ambitions of an immediate return to the top flight.

SOLOMON’S DEBUT OVERSHADOWED

One of the few major positives for West Ham was Solomon.

The attacker marked his debut with a goal and produced one of the strongest individual performances for the Hammers.

His goal in the 72nd minute appeared to have settled the contest, but Flemming’s late heroics ensured that Solomon’s impressive debut was ultimately overshadowed.

Kilman also deserves credit for putting West Ham ahead early, but the defensive collapse in the final stages will dominate the conversation.

According to match reports, Burnley’s equaliser came during a crowded goalmouth scramble after the Hammers failed to properly deal with a corner.

A WARNING FOR WEST HAM

The 2-2 draw is far from a disaster in isolation.

But the manner in which West Ham surrendered the lead will concern Nuno.

Promotion campaigns are often decided by how teams manage matches when they are ahead, and West Ham had the perfect opportunity to demonstrate their superiority against another recently relegated Premier League side.

Instead, Burnley showed the character required to fight until the final whistle.

For Nuno, the message is clear.

West Ham cannot afford to switch off.

The Championship is unforgiving, and being one of the biggest clubs in the division does not guarantee promotion.

After leading 2-0 with less than 20 minutes remaining, West Ham ultimately left Turf Moor with only a point.

And if the Hammers want to return to the Premier League at the first attempt, Nuno will know that performances like this cannot become a habit.