Lopetegui Praises West Ham’s Improved Performance and Second-Half Changes

West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui provided comments to BBC Match of the Day after his team’s recent win, stating, “I’m happy for the three points. We are happy for the fans and players, they deserve this victory after suffering a lot in the first-half. In the second-half, we changed different things.” He contrasted the two halves of the game, observing, “The first-half was for them, but the second-half was for us. We were able to compete better and win the match.” Lopetegui explained that tactical adjustments were made at half-time due to players having received yellow cards, with the aim of maintaining an aggressive stance. He specifically mentioned the introduction of Crysencio Summerville, remarking, “I wanted to put Crysencio Summerville on. I thought he was key in second-half. His energy and his way of playing allowed us to get the goal.” Lopetegui expressed relief at the outcome, stating, “Fortunately, we won. We kept positive when they scored. We appreciate the support from the fans.” He also elaborated on his strategic approach to each match, adding, “Each week I can make changes, thinking of ideas how to play against the opponent. I was thinking today Summerville could be key in the second-half, but he will play a lot. He did well, we are happy for him and for the team, the players and the fans.” Addressing a penalty incident, the manager admitted, “I didn’t see it. The players say it is a penalty and the referee says it is a penalty, so I am sure they are right but I haven’t seen it.” He chose to emphasize the team’s sustained positive momentum after the opposition scored, stating, “I prefer to highlight that, after they scored, we kept the energy and positive momentum to win the match. I prefer to keep that energy.” Lopetegui acknowledged a poor result from the previous week, noting that such occurrences are part of the game, and highlighted the significance of the current victory against “a big team.” He concluded by underscoring the demanding nature of winning any match: “To win any match is a big challenge. It’s difficult and you have to go to the limits. We have to keep the energy to compete and be better.”