“I think Felipe scored a beautiful goal today,” said Pellegrini. “It’s always important for a player to score, but I think Felipe and the whole team must improve.”

The Hammers have also taken four points from their last two games and are evidently coping better without key injured players such as Manuel Lanzini, Andy Carroll, Jack Wilshere, Carlos Sanchez and Winston Reid.

“With all the players we are missing from our squad at the moment, it is difficult, there are six or seven players,” Pellegrini added.

“But if you take out the first four games of the season, which were very bad, I think the team is improving with different names.

“I’m very hopeful that we will finish the first round of games in a better position than we are now.”