West Ham United continued their recent resurgence with a 3-2 victory over Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday, making it three wins in a row for the Hammers.
Nuno Espirito Santo made four changes to the side that beat Derby County, including replacing Joel Veltman with Kyle Walker-Peters at right-back, a decision that nearly backfired.
Walker-Peters endured one of his toughest outings in a West Ham shirt before being substituted just 12 minutes into the second half.
The Englishman committed three fouls, including conceding a penalty that Ruben Rodrigues converted to put West Ham 2-1 behind.
Walker-Peters also won just one of his four ground duels, although he did complete 91% of his passes.
Veltman replaced Walker-Peters and immediately looked more assured as West Ham pushed for a winner, which arrived in the 77th minute courtesy of a fine pass from the Dutchman to captain Jarrod Bowen.
Given the unforgiving nature of the Championship, Nuno may need to be ruthless with his team selection, and for now, that means limiting Walker-Peters’ involvement.
His poor performance against Bolton was in keeping with an underwhelming start to the 2026-27 campaign, when many expected him to step up following Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s loan move to Aston Villa.
West Ham currently sit top of the Championship on goal difference and are beginning to show the consistency required for an immediate Premier League return.
Walker-Peters’ versatility means he could still play a key role as the season progresses, but for now, the 29-year-old may have to settle for cameo appearances off the bench.