West Ham United’s difficult start to the Championship season continued on Tuesday following a 1-1 draw against Watford. The match, played before the largest crowd at Vicarage Road in six years, saw West Ham fail to secure their first league win of the campaign. The result leaves the club winless after three matches, a situation that has drawn criticism from supporters.

There is a notable difference in how the performance is being contextualized. Sky Sports characterizes the match as a "gritty" encounter, focusing on the competitive nature of the draw. In contrast, The Guardian frames the result as a significant underperformance. The Guardian highlights that West Ham, having broken the Championship transfer record following their relegation, are expected to dominate the division. Consequently, the outlet reports that the pressure on manager Nuno Espirito Santo is mounting, noting that the travelling fans expressed their frustration with boos at the final whistle. While Sky Sports acknowledges the manager is still waiting for his first win, it does not explicitly detail the level of fan unrest or the specific financial expectations placed upon the squad in the same manner as The Guardian.