WOLVERHAMPTON, England, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Wolverhampton Wanderers finally ended the worst winless run from the start of a Premier League season with a 3-0 home win against fellow strugglers West Ham United on Saturday.
No wins from their opening 19 games of the campaign had set an unwanted record for Wolves, surpassing the 17-game winless start of Sheffield United in the 2020-21 season.
But after an encouraging draw at Manchester United in midweek, earning them their third point of the season, Wolves outplayed woeful West Ham to spark joyous scenes at Molineux.
Jhon Arias slid in to put the hosts in front after four minutes and Wolves doubled their lead when Hwang Hee-Chan converted a penalty just past the half-hour mark.
Mateus Mane made it 3-0 in the 41st minute with a low drive as West Ham crumbled and there was no sight of a revival for the visitors who failed to have an attempt on target.
Wolves remain bottom with six points from 20 games and still need an extraordinary second half of the season to avoid the drop. West Ham are sinking deeper into trouble and are in 18th place with 14 points, four behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Clare Fallon)
