Burnley vs West Ham: Summerville and Castellanos lift Hammers in 2–0 away win

West Ham United claimed a pivotal 2–0 victory at Burnley on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 (ET), scoring twice inside the opening 26 minutes to land a result that reshapes the relegation fight. Crysencio Summerville struck early and Valentín Castellanos followed soon after, leaving Burnley chasing the game at Turf Moor without finding a way back.

For West Ham, the win creates breathing room above the bottom three; for Burnley, it deepens a season-long slide and ramps up the urgency heading into the final third of the campaign.

First-half burst decides it

West Ham’s plan was clear from the start: press into midfield, force rushed clearances, and attack quickly when Burnley’s shape stretched. The opening goal arrived in the 13th minute when Summerville finished from close range to put the visitors in front, and Burnley never truly settled afterward.

Castellanos doubled the lead in the 26th minute, shifting the match from a tense relegation six-pointer into a damage-limitation exercise for the home side. From there, West Ham’s priorities changed: reduce risk, protect central areas, and tempt Burnley into hopeful crosses rather than clean entries into the box.

By halftime, Burnley had plenty of the ball but too little incision, and West Ham looked comfortable playing without forcing the tempo.

Match snapshot

Burnley’s problem: possession without punch

Burnley ended up with more possession and significantly more shot attempts, but the quality of their chances didn’t match the volume. Too many attacks ended with low-percentage efforts or balls delivered into crowded areas where West Ham’s defensive line could reset and clear.

The pattern also reflects a familiar issue for teams near the bottom: once they go behind, their opponent can shrink the pitch and turn the match into a test of patience and precision. Burnley had stretches of pressure, but they rarely forced West Ham into last-ditch defending or sustained chaos in the six-yard box.

When a team is chasing two goals, the next objective is usually to score before the hour mark to make the final 30 minutes frantic. Burnley couldn’t find that spark, and the longer it stayed 0–2, the more the match drifted toward West Ham’s comfort zone.

West Ham’s approach: early edge, controlled second half

With the two-goal cushion, West Ham didn’t need to dominate territory. Instead, the visitors managed the game by limiting transitions and choosing their pressing moments carefully. The defensive work stood out: staying compact between the lines, protecting the space in front of the center backs, and conceding shots that were easier for the goalkeeper to read.

That control showed up in the shot profile: Burnley took many attempts but produced fewer clear looks on target. West Ham, meanwhile, didn’t chase a third goal recklessly, valuing the clean sheet and the points over a more open, end-to-end finish.

The win will also be valued internally for its timing. Results in this part of the season can tilt belief, and wins against direct table rivals often count double—one team climbs while the other stalls.

What it means for the table

The relegation context is stark. Burnley remain in the bottom two on 15 points after 24 matches, while West Ham rise to 23 points after 25 matches, moving out of immediate danger and into a position where a small run of results can create real separation.

For Burnley, the margin for error is shrinking. The gap to safety becomes harder to close if defeats pile up in head-to-head matches against teams in the same zone. The club now needs points not only against fellow strugglers, but also by finding surprises against mid-table opponents.

For West Ham, the path forward is clearer: keep stacking “must-have” points in winnable fixtures, and the table can begin to look less panicked week to week.

What to watch next

Burnley’s next steps are tactical and psychological: tighten starts, avoid conceding early, and build a more reliable route to goals when matches turn into set-piece battles. If they can’t score first, they’ll continue spending most games trying to break down compact defenses.

West Ham, meanwhile, will want to treat this as a floor rather than a ceiling. The two early goals were decisive, but the larger takeaway was game management—something relegation-threatened sides often lack. If West Ham repeat the same control in similar fixtures, survival becomes less about hope and more about habit.

Sources consulted: Premier League; ESPN; The Guardian; Sky Sports