West Ham beat Wolves and pay tribute to teammate Andriy Yarmolenko amid Ukraine invasion

West Ham defeated Wolves 1-0 on Sunday as they continued their hunt for a Champions League spot.

The only goal of the game came for 27-year-old Czechia international Tomas Soucek, just before the hour mark.

Soucek tucked away sometime England international Michail Antonio’s pass to give his side all three points.

In fourth are Manchester United, who drew 0-0 at home to West Ham on Saturday afternoon, with West Ham now fifth and two points behind.

Arsenal are behind West Ham on goal difference alone and have three games in hand on the pair.

Declan Rice and Aaron Cresswell both went close for the home side before Soucek’s winner, with Rice striking the post, while Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals both went close and Soucek also had another chance to double his tally.

Wolves stay in eighth.

Speaking after the game, Rice paid tribute to Ukrainian teammate Andriy Yarmelenko, who has been excused first team duties after the Russian invasion of his country.

“It is so important, for me and for the team, the club and everyone to support Yarmo – the day it started we saw him at the training ground and he was in bits, we are there for him and the people of Ukraine,” he said.

“We are all with Yarma and the tap on the shirt gave it good luck. He has some family in Ukraine at the minute so is going through some tough times, he sent us a message in the group chat before the game saying ‘good luck boys’.”