West Ham United edged past Queens Park Rangers in extra time to reach the FA Cup fourth round, easing pressure on manager Nuno Espírito Santo after a long winless run. The match underlined West Ham’s struggles, with Championship opponents pushing them hard and forcing extra time. January signing Taty Castellanos proved decisive, heading home the winner from a cross by Crysencio Summerville, who also scored West Ham’s opener in one of his strongest displays for the club.
QPR impressed with their organisation and intensity, equalising through Richard Kone after good work from Karamoko Dembélé and earning praise from their manager Julien Stéphan. West Ham suffered further injury concerns, notably to Konstantinos Mavropanos, and fan unrest again surfaced despite the result. While the victory ended a 64-day wait for Nuno and offered encouragement from new signings, it also served as a reminder of the scale of the challenge ahead as West Ham battle to avoid relegation.
