Jesse Lingard wants West Ham to remain calm in race for Champions League

Jesse Lingard called for West Ham to keep their cool in the race for the Champions League.

The forward inspired the Hammers to a 3-2 win at Wolves on Monday which lifted them to fourth in the Premier League.

Lingard – who has six goals in eight club games – scored a wonderful solo strike while also having a hand in first-half efforts from Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen.

West Ham are four points behind third-placed Leicester – who they host on Sunday – and Lingard knows they must remain calm.

“We need to maintain our focus in each game,” the on-loan Manchester United star told the club’s official site. “We’ve got a tough run of fixtures but the lads are ready and we’ll prepare for the next game.

“There’s always room to improve. It’s a great victory but there are things to take from this game, positive and negative, and we’ll learn from that.

“It was a tough game and we had to work hard for the three points. We kept at it – it could have been another Arsenal situation (drawing 3-3 after winning 3-0) conceding before half-time – but the lads kept their focus and concentration throughout the 90 minutes.

“It was just a lack of concentration at the end of the first half but we came out in the second half a little bit better. They dominated most of the play but it was about us managing the game.”

Leander Dendoncker pulled a goal back for Wolves a minute before the break while Fabio Silva’s goal made it a nervy final 22 minutes for the Hammers.

But they held on and Wolves have now won just three of their last 17 top-flight games.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are 14th after a third defeat in four games left them nine points above the bottom three with eight games remaining.

“The motivation is we have eight games left and the team have good things to do,” Silva told the club’s official site.

“There are a lot of games for points and to improve and I think the team have to get up, take the spirit and character of this game and improve for the next match.

“If you’re losing 3-0, it’s too difficult to win the game, you have to have some luck but now the team has to think of the next game, it’s the most important.”