Dinos Mavropanos believes there are positives to take from Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, and is confident the Hammers are going to grow under the stewardship of Head Coach Nuno Espírito Santo.
The Greece international started for the sixth game in a row this season against his former side, who he represented eight times between 2018 and 2022 before moves to VfB Stuttgart and then ultimately West Ham United.
Partnered with Maximilian Kilman in the heart of defence, it was a busy afternoon at the Emirates for Mavropanos, and he duly chipped in with 26 passes, 16 clearances and two interceptions in the face of an attack that had scored 12 goals in their previous six matches in 2025/26.
Declan Rice’s strike seven minutes before half-time gave the hosts the lead, before Bukayo Saka doubled his team’s advantage from the penalty spot, and though he was understandably disappointed at full-time, our No15 was pleased with elements of the performance.
“We knew from the beginning that it was going to be a tough game,” Mavropanos said. “We wanted to be compact defensively, to try and keep the ball and then do our best up front.
“We weren’t able to create a lot of chances, and I think we were a bit weak in terms of keeping the ball. When we were winning back possession, we couldn’t really keep it or make chances, and in the end we didn’t get anything out of the game.
“But we worked hard, and we know we have to keep going, which we will.”
Mavropanos is now set to head off on international duty, looking to add to his tally of 38 caps for Greece in FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Scotland and Denmark later this month.
The 27-year-old and his Club teammates will return to Premier League action at home to Brentford on Monday 20 October, and he is full of belief that the clash against the Bees can mark a turning point in the Irons’ season.
After a week of working with Nuno, Mavropanos insists the new boss has already made a big impact on and off the pitch, and he is looking forward to helping his team improve in the remainder of the campaign.
He added: “The manager is really straight with what he wants, and at half-time he was telling us to stick to our plan.
“I think we can all adapt to his philosophies quickly, and we’re only going to get better with time. Hopefully, we’re stronger in the next game, and we can start getting the results we want.”
