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A detailed numerical investigation into the influence of the axial gap between the blade rows of a stator/rotor compressor configuration is presented. Unsteady, two-dimensional simulations at both subsonic and transonic operating points have been performed for several axial spacings. From time-averaged data, the influence of the axial gap setting on stage efficiency at the subsonic operating point was found to be opposite to that at the transonic operating point. By examining the passage losses, a correlation between the trends in stage performance and rotor losses as a function of the axial spacing was found. At maximum efficiency, the unsteady flow fields at both operating points show similar vortex patterns. These vortices are rotating clockwise and are located near the suction side of the rotor profile. It was found that these vortices affect the boundary layer behaviour of the rotor and lead to a gain in performance due to a reduction of the rotor losses. This process depends on the operating point and the axial spacing between the rows. Through a detailed analysis of the time-averaged and instantaneous data, the influence of the upstream wake on the stage performance is assessed and discussed in the context of future designs.