WEST HAM UNITED
theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES &
Collectables through the Decade
A Pictorial History
2020-21 Premier League
Manager: David Moyes
The 2020/21 season was initially scheduled to start on 8 August 2020 and end on 16 May 2021, but this was delayed until 12 September as a consequence of the postponement of the previous season's conclusion due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the start of this season, as was the case at the end of the previous season, there was limited or no attendance at matches besides each team's staff and personnel. On 23 November 2020, it was announced that some fans would be allowed to return to stadiums in low-risk areas at the end of the second national lockdown on 2 December 2020. The announcement of a third national lockdown on 4 January 2021, though, signalled a return to matches being played behind closed doors.
As fans initially were not allowed to attend matches, an agreement was made for all matches to be televised up until at least the October international break. The league's major broadcast partners Sky Sports and BT Sport broadcast the vast majority of the matches between them, whilst Amazon Prime Video and the BBC were also allotted additional live matches during the season.
On 22 February 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced as the third step of recovery from the lockdown imposed on 4 January, that subject to certain criteria being met on vaccines, infection rates and new coronavirus variants, large football stadiums would be allowed to reopen on 17 May with a maximum of 10,000 spectators or 25% capacity, whichever was higher. This meant that the final round of fixtures scheduled for the 23 May would see spectators return to the stadium. To ensure all clubs played their final home game in front of fans, the penultimate round of fixtures were rearranged to take place on 18–19 May. No away fans were permitted for these matches.[
Note:
Players in BOLD made their debuts for West Ham United
NEWCASTLE UNITED
London Stadium
0 - 2
12 September 2020
Ref: Stuart Attwell
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Fredericks
Diop
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Rice
Soucek
Bowen (Anderson)
Noble (Yarmolenko)
Fornals (Haller)
Antonio
West Ham United fell to a 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United in their 2020/21 season opener. The Hammers twice hit the crossbar before the break – first through Angelo Ogbonna’s header, then from a Pablo Fornals strike from 12 yards – but could not force a way through. Both sides created chances in an open first 45 minutes, but the game became more scrappy in the second half and Newcastle were more clinical, with Callum Wilson and Jeff Hendrick netting to take the points back to the north-east. Tomas Soucek was available after having to miss the Czech Republic’s UEFA Nations League meeting with Scotland in midweek, and he slotted straight into the team alongside Declan Rice – making his 100th Premier League appearance.
Newcastle United:
Darlow, Manquillo, Lascelles, Fernandez, Lewis, Hendrick, Shelvey, Hayden, Saint-Maximin (Joelinton), Carroll (Longstaff), Wilson (Almiron)
CHARLTON ATHLETIC : Football League Cup (Second Round)
London Stadium
3 - 0 (Haller 2, Anderson)
15 September 2020
Ref: Andre Marriner
Att: (Covid)
Randolph
Johnson (HARRISON ASHBY)
Balbuena
Diop
Masuaku
Snodgrass (Coventry)
Cullen
Lanzini
Yarmolenko
Haller
Anderson
West Ham United booked a home Carabao Cup third round tie against Hull City by defeating Charlton Athletic 3-0. The Hammers had too much for their League One opponents, with Sebastien Haller’s quickfire double before the break giving them a commanding position they never seemed likely to relinquish. Charlton kept the hosts honest, with Jonny Williams and Chuks Aneke bringing saves from Darren Randolph, but West Ham were in control and wrapped up the content with Felipe Anderson’s third goal ten minutes from the end.
Charlton Athletic:
Amos, Lapslie, Barker, Oshilaja, Purrington, Oztumer, Pratley (Gilbey), Levitt, Doughty, Williams (Washington), Bonne (Aneke)
ARSENAL
Emirates Stadium
1 - 2 (Antonio)
19 September 2020
Ref: Michael Oliver
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Fredericks
Diop
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Masuaku (Anderson)
Soucek
Rice
Bowen (Yarmolenko)
Fornals (Haller)
Antonio
West Ham United suffered another agonising Premier League loss at Arsenal, going down to a hugely frustrating 2-1 defeat. Despite creating more than twice as many goal attempts as the Gunners, the Irons were left to rue an inability to turn dangerous positions and chances into goals and, just as they did before the COVID-19 lockdown in March, departed north London with nothing.
Arsenal had just two shots on target and scored from both of them – Alexandre Lacazette scoring with their first meaningful attempt and substitute Eddie Nketiah winning it with five minutes to play – while West Ham repeatedly tested Bernd Leno and his defenders, but had just Michail Antonio’s equaliser on the stroke of half-time to show for it.
Arsenal:
Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Kolasinac, Saka (David Luiz), Xhaka, Ceballos, Willian (Pepe), Lacazette (Nketiah), Aubameyang
HULL CITY : FL Cup (Third Round)
London Stadium
5 - 1 (Haller 2, Yarmolenko 2 [1 pen], Snodgrass)
22 September 2020
Ref: Simon Hooper
Att: (Covid)
Randolph
Ashby (EMMANUEL LONGELO)
Balbuena
AJIBOLA ALESE
Johnson
Wilshere
Snodgrass
Yarmolenko
Lanzini
Anderson
Haller
West Ham United swept into the Carabao Cup fourth round with a comprehensive 5-1 win over Hull City at London Stadium. Sebastien Haller and Andriy Yarmolenko scored two goals each and Robert Snodgrass netted against his old club as the Hammers outplayed their EFL League One opponents.
It was a successful end to a challenging evening which saw manager David Moyes and players Issa Diop and Josh Cullen test positive for COVID-19 and have to leave London Stadium before kick-off, with their places in the starting eleven taken by debutant Ajibola Alese and Jack Wilshere. West Ham were dominant throughout, creating 19 goal attempts and taking five of them.
Hull City:
Long, Coyle, Jones, McLoughlin, Fleming, Batty, Smallwood (Honeyman), Scott (Wilks), Jones, Mayer (Lewis-Potter), Magennis
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
London Stadium
4 - 0 (Bowen 2, Haller, Jimenez [og])
27 September 2020
Ref: Martin Atkinson
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Ogbonna
Balbuena
Cresswell
Fredericks (Johnson)
Rice
Soucek
Masuaku
Bowen (Noble)
Antonio (Haller)
Fornals
West Ham United recorded their first Premier League win of the season in true style on Sunday evening, sweeping Wolverhampton Wanderers aside to triumph 4-0 at London Stadium.
The Hammers carried a menace to their play all night and peppered Rui Patricio’s goal throughout the 90 minutes. Jarrod Bowen’s curling finish was all they had to show for their efforts in a dominant opening period, but they found the clinical edge they needed after the break to leave Wolves, deservedly, well-beaten.
Bowen made it 2-0 with 57 minutes played, showing his predatory instincts to follow up after Pablo Fornals’ shot hit the post and knock into an empty net, before Tomas Soucek’s header flicked off Raul Jimenez and flew into the net for the Hammers’ third.
Sebastien Haller, in fine form in the Carabao Cup, then came off the bench to score his fifth goal of the season in added time as the Hammers got their campaign up and running.
Wolverhampton Wanderers:
Patricio, Boly, Coady, Saiss, Semedo (Hoever), Moutinho (Vitinha), Neves, Vinagre, Traore (Silva), Jimenez, Neto
EVERTON : FL Cup (Fourth Round)
Goodison Park
1 - 4 (Snodgrass)
30 September 2020
Ref: Darren England
Att: (Covid)
Randolph
Johnson (Ashby)
Rice
Balbuena
Cresswell
Noble
Snodgrass
Yarmolenko
Lanzini
Anderson
Haller
West Ham United’s involvement in the Carabao Cup came to an end as Everton scored three times in the second half to send the visitors to a 4-1 defeat. The Hammers looked well placed to put the Toffees under pressure when Robert Snodgrass cancelled out Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s opener at the start of the second half.
But Richarlison soon retook the lead for his side, with the help of a huge deflection off Declan Rice, before Calvert-Lewin wrote his headlines by completing a hat-trick with two goals inside the final 12 minutes.
Everton:
Pickford, Kenny (Coleman), Keane, Digne, Nkounkou, Allan (Doucoure), Delph, Sigurdsson, James, Richarlison (Iwobi), Calvert-Lewin
LEICESTER CITY
King Power Stadium
3 - 0 (Antonio, Bowen, Fornals)
4 October 2020
Ref: Andy Madley
Att: (Covid)
Club issued Digital version only
Fabianski
Ogbonna
Balbuena
Cresswell
VLADIMIR COUFAL
Rice
Soucek
Masuaku
Bowen (Noble)
Fornals
Antonio (Haller)
West Ham United made it back-to-back Premier League wins with a hugely impressive 3-0 victory at Leicester City. The Hammers were outstanding at King Power Stadium – organised and resilient in defence and incisive and clinical in attack – and secured all three points through first-half goals from Michail Antonio and Pablo Fornals and a late third from Jarrod Bowen.
It was a superb all-round display from the Irons, who stifled, outthought and punished a Leicester team who had started the weekend top of the Premier League table.
A week after seeing his first assist since March 2019 chalked off when Tomas Soucek’s header against Wolverhampton Wanderers was ruled a Raul Jimenez own-goal, Aaron Cresswell set up both goals.
Leicester City:
Schmeichel, Castagne, Amartey (Ünder), Söyüncü, Evans, Justin, Mendy (Choudhury), Tielemans, Perez (Iheanacho), Barnes, Vardy
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
3 - 3 (Balbuena, Lanzini, Sanchez [og])
18 October 2020
Ref: Paul Tierney
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Balbuena
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Masuaku (Snodgrass)
Bowen
Antonio (Yarmolenko)
Fornals (Lanzini)
West Ham United came from three goals down to rescue the most dramatic of points at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon. The Hammers trailed 3-0 as early as the 16th minute and were still down by that scoreline with just eight minutes remaining, yet still they managed to claw back reward for their efforts.
Fabian Balbuena got the comeback started with a towering header in the 82nd minute, then Davinson Sanchez’s own goal three minutes later gave them real hope. It was hope that was justified too as Manuel Lanzini sent a pile-driver of a 25-yard shot into the top right hand corner of Hugo Lloris to spark joyous scenes among those in Claret & Blue
.Tottenham could not believe they had let their position of power slip, but the Hammers did not crumble after the hosts’ early onslaught and their resilience was to be rewarded in quite crazy style.
Tottenham Hotspur:
Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Sissoko, Ndombele (Winks), Son (Locas Moura), Kane, Bergwijn (Bale)
MANCHESTER CITY
London Stadium
1 - 1 (Antonio)
24 October 2020
Ref: Anthony Taylor
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Balbuena
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Masuaku
Bowen (Haller)
Antonio (Yarmolenko)
Fornals
West Ham United extended their unbeaten run to four games with a battling display to earn a 1-1 draw against Manchester City. The Hammers, who have now claimed positive results against four of the Premier League’s top seven from last season in succession, led at the break through Michail Antonio’s wonderful acrobatic volley.
At that point, with the visitors struggling to create, a first victory over the Citizens since 2015 looked on the cards, but a team of their quality can never be discounted. They upped their game in the second period, with half-time sub Phil Foden levelling just six minutes after the restart.
The Citizens looked the more likely winners as time ticked on, but West Ham stood firm to add another notable result to their encouraging start to the campaign.
Manchester City:
Ederson, Walker (Zinchenko), Ruben Dias, Garcia, Cancelo, Rodrigo, Gundogan, Mahrez, Bernardo Silva (De Bruyne), Sterling, Aguero (Foden)
LIVERPOOL
Anfield
1 - 2 (Fornals)
31 October 2020
Ref: Kevin Friend
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Balbuena
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Masuaku (Lanzini)
Bowen (SAID BENRAHMA)
Haller (Yarmolenko)
Fornals
West Ham United’s four-game Premier League unbeaten run came to an end at Liverpool, as the Reds overturned an early deficit to claim a 2-1 victory.
Pablo Fornals struck for the second year in a row at Anfield to fire the visitors in front with just ten minutes on the clock, giving his side a platform from which to frustrate Liverpool.
They defended with strength and skill to limit the home side’s chances, and although Mo Salah levelled from the spot three minutes before the interval, it looked as though they would do enough to claim another creditable point. But five minutes from time, Diogo Jota netted to give the Hammers their first taste of defeat since mid-September.
Liverpool:
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Phillips, Robertson, Jones (Shaqiri), Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah (Milner), Firmino (Diogo Jota), Mane
FULHAM
London Stadium
1 - 0 (Soucek)
7 November 2020
Ref: Robert Jones
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Balbuena
Ogbonna (Diop)
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Masuaku
Bowen (Lanzini)
Haller
Fornals (Benrahma)
Tomas Soucek’s injury time goal and Lukasz Fabianski’s even later penalty save gave West Ham United a hard-fought, dramatic 1-0 victory over Fulham. Dramatic wasn’t the word that looked likely to describe the contest as it entered stoppage time, but there was action at both ends before the points were secured. There didn’t look any way back for Fulham when Soucek netted, after being teed up by Said Benrahma in the first minute of added time, but then, with the last kick of the game, Benrahma was involved in the other box, fouling Tom Cairney as Fulham sensed a lifeline.
To the Hammers’ relief, Ademola Lookman made a complete hash of the penalty, attempting a Panenka but neglecting to direct the ball away from Fabianski, who made the simplest of saves to send West Ham into the international break on a high.
Fulham:
Areola, Aina, Andersen, Adarabioyo, Robinson, Anguissa (Cavaleiro), Reed, De Cordova-Reid (Loftus-Cheek), Cairney, Lookman, Mitrovic
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Bramall Lane
1 - 0 (Haller)
22 November 2020
Ref: Martin Atkinson
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Balbuena
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Masuaku
Bowen (Noble)
Haller
Fornals (Lanzini)
Sebastien Haller’s second half rocket fired West Ham United to all three points at Sheffield United. The Ivorian lashed a powerful drive high into Aaron Ramsdale’s net eleven minutes after the restart at Bramall Lane to give David Moyes’ men their second straight 1-0 victory either side of the international break.
After beating Fulham by that scoreline two weeks ago, the Hammers had to wait two weeks to build on that, but build on it they did with another resolute display that would have pleased their manager.
David McGoldrick drew a simple stop from Fabianski with a low shot from range at the start of the second half, but it was at the other end that the decisive blow was landed with 56 minutes on the clock. There was no stopping Haller, who seized on a loose ball after Fornals’ shot was blocked to unleash a 20-yard rocket, which brushed Ramsdale’s fingertips en route to the top right hand corner of the net.
Sheffield United:
Ramsdale, Basham (Lundstram), Egan, Fleck, Baldock, Norwood (Brewster), Ampadu (Robinson), Berge, Lowe, McBurnie, McGoldrick
ASTON VILLA
London Stadium
2 - 1 (Bowen, Ogbonna)
30 November 2020
Ref: Peter Banks
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Balbuena
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Masuaku (Benrahma)
Bowen (Noble)
Antonio (Haller)
Fornals
West Ham United dug deep to claim their third straight Premier League victory on Monday evening, scoring at the start of both halves through Angelo Ogbonna and Jarrod Bowen to see off Aston Villa.
The Hammers were far from their best and were put on the back foot for long periods by their visitors, who had earlier levelled at 1-1 through Jack Grealish’s powerful effort. Bowen’s header restored West Ham’s advantage just seconds after the second half had begun and they had to show their defensive mettle to hold on to the advantage.
Villa had their chances – big ones too – as Ollie Watkins missed from the spot 17 minutes from time, while the same player had a last-gasp goal ruled out for offside, as the Hammers clung on to claim their reward of fifth spot in the Premier League table.
Aston Villa:
Martinez, Cash (El Mohamady), Konsa, Mings, Targett, Hourihane (El Ghazi), Douglas Luiz, McGinn, Grealish, Trezeguet (Traore), Watkins
MANCHESTER UNITED
London Stadium
1 - 3 (Soucek)
5 December 2020
Ref: Andre Marriner
Att: 2,000
Fabianski
Balbuena
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Coufal (Johnson)
Rice
Soucek
Masuaku
Bowen (Lanzini)
Fornals (Benrahma)
Haller
West Ham United could not quell a second-half Manchester United fightback, losing 3-1 at home in Saturday’s Premier League fixture. On an evening where the return of supporters to London Stadium for the first time in over nine months was celebrated, it was a tale of two halves on the pitch for the Hammers. Tomas Soucek had given the home side a more than deserved lead on 39 minutes, after a first period in which Pablo Fornals also hit the post and the Irons dominated the play.
Manchester United were fortunate to not be more than a goal behind at the half-time interval and called on Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford from the bench for the second period. The duo played a crucial role in the Red Devils taking the lead, with Fernandes setting up Paul Pogba for the leveller, and Rashford tucking home their third after Mason Greenwood’s finish.
Defeat spelled an end to a three-match winning run for David Moyes’ team, in only the Irons third loss in eleven Premier League matches this season.
Manchester United:
Henderson, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelöf, Maguire, Telles, McTominay, Van De Beek (Fernandes), Pogba, Greenwood, Martial (Mata), Cavani (Rashford)
LEEDS UNITED
Elland Road
2 - 1 (Ogbonna, Soucek)
11 December 2020
Ref: Michael Oliver
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Balbuena
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Bowen (Johnson)
Benrahma (Noble)
Fornals (Snodgrass)
Haller
West Ham United recovered from a goal down to defeat Leeds United at Elland Road on Friday night with a performance of real character and quality. Mateusz Klich netted a twice-taken penalty with the game’s opening action to give the visitors something to think about, but they rose to the challenge with panache and were deserving of their victory by the conclusion of the contest.
Tomáš Souček levelled with a towering header midway though the opening period, before the visitors turned the screw in the final quarter and were eventually rewarded with Angelo Ogbonna’s winner ten minutes from the end.
Leeds United:
Meslier, Dallas, Ayling, Cooper, Alioski (Costa), Phillips, Raphinha, Klich, Harrison (Shackleton), Rodrigo, Bamford (Roberts)
CRYSTAL PALACE
London Stadium
1 - 1 (Haller)
16 December 2020
Ref: David Coote
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Diop
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Bowen (Yarmolenko)
Benrahma (Snodgrass)
Fornals (Lanzini)
Haller
Sébastien Haller’s spectacular overhead kick earned a point for West Ham United against Crystal Palace in a closely-fought contest at London Stadium, cancelling out Christian Benteke’s first half header. The Hammers had to work for their point after falling behind to the Belgian’s goal, but they made a telling change at the interval by introducing Manuel Lanzini and were rewarded with the leveller soon after.
Haller’s strike was one that will live long in the Hammers’ memory, as the Ivorian showed wonderful technique to meet Vladimir Coufal’s cross acrobatically and powerfully to give Vicente Guaita no chance in the Palace goal. The visitors then had to deal with a red card for Benteke in the game’s final quarter, but they stood firm to deny the Hammers a second, with the derby ending 1-1.
Crystal Palace:
Guaita, Ward, Dann, Kouyate, van Aanholt, Townsend (Schlupp), Milivojevic, McArthur, Eze (Ayew), Zaha, Benteke
CHELSEA
Stamford Bridge
0 - 3
21 December 2020
Ref: Chris Kavangh
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Balbuena
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Noble
Bowen (Fredericks)
Fornals (Benrahma)
Haller
West Ham United were punished by a clinical Chelsea side as they fell to a 3-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge. The visitors could feel hard done by at the margin of the Blues’ victory, after dominating possession in the second half and putting the home side under real pressure, before Tammy Abraham sealed the points for his side with a late double.
Ultimately, the Blues were rewarded for showing a more ruthless streak, establishing a tenth minute lead through centre-back Thiago Silva, then weathering that Hammers storm and inflicting just a second defeat in seven Premier League games on the visitors.
Chelsea:
Mendy, Azpilicueta, Zouma, Thiago Silva, Chilwell (Emerson), Kante, Jorginho (Kovacic), Mount, Pulisic (Havertz), Abraham, Werner
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
London Stadium
2 - 2 (Johnson, Soucek)
27 December 2020
Ref: Simon Hooper
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Balbuena
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Johnson
Noble (Lanzini)
Bowen (Yarmolenko)
Haller
West Ham United had to twice come from behind to earn a point against Brighton & Hove Albion, with Ben Johnson and Tomas Soucek cancelling out Neal Maupay and Lewis Dunk’s strikes for the Seagulls. David Moyes’ men recovered from a sluggish first half performance to ensure they wouldn’t hand Brighton a festive present after Maupay took advantage of their sleepy defending to hook home on the stroke of half time.
Johnson slammed home after being teed up by half-time sub Manuel Lanzini to bring his team level on the hour, only for Dunk to re-establish the advantage for his side 20 minutes from time. Brighton have struggled to turn performances into victories this season though, and Soucek’s equaliser on 82 minutes means they are still on the lookout for a third Premier League win of the campaign.
Brighton & Hove Albion:
Sanchez, Webster, Dunk, Burn, White, Bissouma, Lallana (Alzate), March, Trossard, Maupay (Jahanbaksh), Welbeck (Gross)
SOUTHAMPTON
St Mary's Stadium
0 - 0
29 December 2020
Ref: Andre Marriner
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Fredericks
CRAIG DAWSON
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Rice
Soucek
Yarmolenko (Bowen)
Lanzini (Benrahma)
Fornals
Haller (Antonio)
West Ham United’s final match of 2020 ended in stalemate as neither side could find the route to goal at Southampton. It resulted in back-to-back draws over the Christmas period for David Moyes’ men, who were solid in defence and rarely looked like conceding to a Southampton side who have caused problems for plenty of teams over the first part of this season.
Second half sub Said Benrahma had the best chance to win it, seeing his 85th minute effort hit goalkeeper Alex McCarthy from close in, but in truth 0-0 was a fair reflection of an evening when both the Saints and the Hammers found it tough to break the other down.
Southampton:
McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Stephens, Bednarek, Redmond, Walcott, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Djenepo (Armstrong), Ings, Adams (Long)
EVERTON
Goodison Park
1 - 0 (Soucek)
1 January 2021
Ref: Kevin Friend
Att: (Covid)
Randolph
Coufal
Dawson
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Rice
Soucek
Bowen (Lanzini)
Benrahma
Fornals (Yarmolenko)
Haller (Antonio)
Tomáš Souček’s struck late to give West Ham United the perfect start to 2021 at Goodison Park. The Czech Republic midfielder finished from close range, reacting quickest inside the box to knock home after an Aaron Cresswell shot deflected to him, and with just four minutes remaining, Everton had no time to respond.
It was another outstanding defensive effort from the Hammers, who, led by the imperious Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson at centre-half, prevented Everton from having a clear chance on their goal all night. While attacking moments were not flowing at the other end either, it mattered little as the Hammers took the big opportunity which fell their way to ensure they would take the points back to east London.
Everton:
Pickford, Coleman, Holgate, Mina, Godfrey, Doucoure, Davies, Bernard (Rodriguez), Sigurdsson (Gomes), Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin (Tosun)
STOCKPORT COUNTY : FA Cup (Third Round)
Edgeley Park
1 - 0 (Dawson)
11 January 2021
Ref: Mike Dean
Att: (Covid)
Randolph
Coufal
Dawson
Ogbonna
Johnson (Cresswell)
Noble
Rice
Yarmolenko (Soucek)
Lanzini (Bowen)
Benrahma (Fornals)
Antonio (ADEMIPO ODUBEKO)
West Ham United left it late but booked their place in the Emirates FA Cup fourth round thanks to Craig Dawson’s 83rd minute header at Stockport County. Fifth-tier Stockport stuck to their task admirably to restrict the Hammers’ chances at Edgeley Park, but quick thinking from Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen at a corner eventually broke them down to lay on the chance for Dawson.
West Ham’s reward is a home fourth round tie against Doncaster Rovers next weekend and they will be happy to have got the job done on a tricky night in the north west.
Stockport County:
Hinchliffe, Minihan (Thomas), Keane, Hogan, Hitching, Maynard, C.Jennings (Southam-Hales), Croasdale, Rooney (Hinchy), Williams (Palmer), Reid (Bennett)
BURNLEY
London Stadium
1 - 0 (Antonio)
16 January 2021
Ref: Chris Kavangh
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Coufal
Dawson
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Rice
Soucek
Bowen (Yarmolenko)
Benrahma (Lanzini)
Fornals
Antonio
Michail Antonio returned to the West Ham United Premier League starting eleven in style on Saturday afternoon, scoring the only goal of the game to send Burnley to defeat at London Stadium.
Antonio has worked his way back from a hamstring injury with substitute outings and a start at Stockport County in the FA Cup in recent weeks, and didn’t have to wait long to make his mark against the Clarets.
Just nine minutes were on the clock when the No30 stole in at the far post to convert Pablo Fornals’ cross and give the Hammers a third straight win.
Angelo Ogbonna, Antonio himself and Bowen all went close to adding a second before Burnley came on strongly at the end, when West Ham’s defensive players stood up to ensure the points would stay in east London.
Burnley:
Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters, Gudmundsson (McNeil), Westwood, Brownhill, Brady, Wood (Rodriguez), Barnes (Vydra)
WEST BROMWICH ALBION
London Stadium
2 - 1 (Antonio, Bowen)
19 January 2021
Ref: Graham Scott
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Coufal
Dawson
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Rice
Soucek
Bowen
Lanzini (Fornals)
Benrahma (Yarmolenko)
Antonio (Noble)
West Ham United’s perfect start to 2021 continued with a 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion at London Stadium that takes us onto 32 Premier League points at the halfway stage.
The Irons made it four wins in a row in all competitions for the first time since December 2018 and rose to seventh in the table thanks to well-taken goals from Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio.
The pair each netted their fifth top-flight goals of the 2020/21 campaign either side of Matheus Pereira’s equaliser for Sam Allardyce’s Baggies, who themselves remain in the bottom three. West Ham were in almost complete control in the first half, as a quick rundown of the statistics shows. The Irons enjoyed 66.5% possession, completing 262 passes to the Baggies’ 99, and created seven goal attempts to two, with three on target to West Brom’s zero.
West Bromwich Albion:
Johnstone, O’Shea, Bartley, Ajayi, Gibbs, Gallagher, Livermore (Robson-Kanu), Pereira, Sawyers, Grosicki (Furlong), Robinson
DONCASTER ROVERS : FA Cup (Fourth Round)
London Stadium
4 - 0 (Afolayan, Fornals, Yarmolenko, Butler [og])
23 January 2021
Ref: Robert Jones
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski (NATHAN TROTT)
Fredericks (JAMAL BAPTISTE)
Diop
Balbuena
Johnson
Noble
Soucek (OLADAPO AFOLAYAN)
Benrahma
Lanzini
Fornals
Yarmolenko
Travelling Away Supporters edition
West Ham United booked their spot in the Emirates FA Cup fifth round with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers at London Stadium. Two goals in each half eased the Hammers past their high-flying League One opponents and set up a fifth round tie at either Liverpool or Manchester United, who face each other on Sunday.
Pablo Fornals got the home side on their way with a neat finish less than two minutes into the contest, before Andriy Yarmolenko doubled the advantage before the break.
An Andy Butler own goal gave West Ham a third early in the second period and then Dapo Afolayan, making his debut as a substitute, added further gloss to the scoreline late on. It took West Ham 83 minutes to break the deadlock at Stockport in the previous round, but there was no such frustrating wait this time around.
Doncaster Rovers:
Balcombe, Halliday, Anderson, Butler, John, Smith (Simões), Wright (Amos), Taylor (Williams), Eyenga-Lokito (Richards), James, Okenabirhie
CRYSTAL PALACE
Selhurst Park
3 - 2 (Soucek 2, Dawson)
26 January 2021
Ref: Stuart Attwell
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Coufal
Dawson
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Rice
Soucek
Bowen (Fredericks)
Benrahma (Noble)
Fornals
Antonio (Yarmolenko)
West Ham United extended their winning streak to a sixth game with an exhilarating, dominant performance at Crystal Palace. Tomáš Souček scored twice and Craig Dawson added a third in the second half, as the visitors shrugged off the blow of Wilfried Zaha’s third minute goal in style.
In truth, they could have scored more than the three goals they managed – forcing 17 shots on the Palace goal and slicing their hosts open almost at will, but three proved to be enough even though Michy Batshuayi pulled one back right at the death. That was little more than a minor irritant on a night when the Hammers moved up to fourth in the Premier League table.
Crystal Palace:
Guaita, Ward, Cahill, Kouyate, Mitchell, Townsend (Batshuayi), Milivojevic (Riedewald), McArthur, Eze, Zaha, Benteke (Ayew)
LIVERPOOL
London Stadium
1 - 3 (Dawson)
31 January 2021
Ref: Jonathan Moss
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Coufal
Dawson
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Rice
Soucek
Bowen (Fredericks)
Benrahma
Fornals (Yarmolenko)
Antonio (Noble)
Mohamed Salah scored a second half double as West Ham United’s eight-game unbeaten run was brought to a halt by Liverpool. The Premier League champions proved too strong for the Hammers at London Stadium, as Georginio Wijnaldum scored a late third to put the result beyond doubt.
Craig Dawson did pull one back in the 87th minute – his second goal in as many games – but it was a case of too little, too late for David Moyes’ men, who will look to bounce back when they travel to Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
Liverpool:
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Henderson, Robertson, Thiago, Wijnaldum, Milner (Jones), Shaqiri (Firmino), Salah, Origi (Oxlade-Chamberlain)
ASTON VILLA
Villa Park
3 - 1 (Lingard 2, Soucek)
3 February 2021
Ref: Andy Madley
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Coufal
Dawson
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Fredericks (Fornals)
Rice
Soucek
JESSE LINGARD (Bowen)
Benrahma (Johnson)
Antonio
Jesse Lingard struck a debut double as West Ham United bounced back from defeat to Liverpool in style, completing a league double over Aston Villa by winning 3-1 in the Midlands. The Hammers were in fine form at Villa Park, establishing a sturdy base at the back before showing their class at the other end with a devastating second half display.
Tomáš Souček and Lingard struck inside the first eleven minutes after the restart to give their team a platform they rarely looked like giving up, despite Ollie Watkins pulling one back nine minutes from time.
No matter, as Lingard was there to bag his second goal of the night, re-establish his team’s two-goal lead and ensure a seventh win from eight games in 2021.
Aston Villa:
Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Douglas Luiz (Sanson), McGinn, El Ghazi (Traoré), Barkley (Trézéguet), Grealish, Watkins
FULHAM
Craven Cottage
0 - 0
6 February 2021
Ref: Mike Dean
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Coufal
Dawson
Ogbonna
Cresswell
Bowen (Yarmolenko)
Rice
Soucek
Lingard
Benrahma (Noble)
Antonio (Fredericks)
Tomáš Souček was sent-off in stoppage time as West Ham United and Fulham played out a 0-0 draw at Craven Cottage. The Czech midfielder was handed his marching orders by Mike Dean following a check on the pitchside monitor after catching Aleksandar Mitrović as he tried to escape the Fulham man’s attentions at a free-kick. The contact was surely accidental, but Dean saw fit to produce the red card as the evening ended on a sour note for the Hammers.
Fulham:
Areola, Tete, Andersen, Adarabioyo, Robinson (Maja), Lemina (Mitrovic), Reed, De Cordova-Reid (Anguissa), Loftus-Cheek, Lookman, Cavaleiro
MANCHESTER UNITED : FA Cup (Fifth Round)
Old Trafford
0 - 1 (aet)
9 February 2021
Ref: Paul Tierney
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Coufal
Dawson
Ogbonna (Diop 16, Fredericks 46)
Cresswell
Rice
Soucek
Bowen (Johnson)
Noble
Fornals (Benrahma)
Yarmolenko (Odubeko 54, Lanzini 112)
West Ham United’s Emirates FA Cup dreams were dashed at Manchester United as the Red Devils edged a tight contest to prevail after extra-time. Clear-cut chances were few and far between on a bitterly cold evening at Old Trafford, until Scott McTominay seized his opportunity with the 97th minute winner.
The Hammers were sturdy in defence, and gave little away despite having to twice shuffle their pack due to injuries to Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop, but ultimately could not do enough at the other end to prolong their cup journey.
Manchester United:
Henderson, Wan-Bissaka (Williams), Lindelöf, Maguire, Telles (Shaw), Matic (McTominay), Fred, Greenwood (Cavani), van de Beek (Fernandes), Rashford, Martial
SHEFFIELD UNITED
London Stadium
3 - 0 (Diop, Fredericks, Rice [pen])
15 February 2021
Ref: Simon Hooper
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Diop
Dawson
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Johnson (Fredericks)
Lanzini (Noble)
Lingard (Benrahma)
Bowen
West Ham United moved back into the Premier League’s top four, for a couple of hours at least, with an ultimately comfortable 3-0 victory over Sheffield United.
Declan Rice opened the scoring with a 41st minute penalty – the first his team have been awarded in the Premier League this season – before a brace of defenders sealed the deal after the break.
Issa Diop made it 2-0 with a well-placed header 13 minutes into the second period, before Ryan Fredericks stepped off the bench to add the icing to the cake, firing beyond Aaron Ramsdale to score his team’s third in the last of six added minutes.
It added up to a resounding victory for the Hammers, who bounced back from their FA Cup exit a week ago in style.
Sheffield United:
Ramsdale, Basham, Egan (Jagielka), Ampadu, Bogle, Lundstram, Norwood (McBurnie), Osborn, Stevens, Sharp, McGoldrick
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
London Stadium
2 - 1 (Antonio, Lingard)
21 February 2021
Ref: Craig Pawson
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Diop
Dawson
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Bowen (Benrahma)
Lingard (Noble)
Fornals (Johnson)
Antonio
Somehow, West Ham are the team holding their nerve in the race to qualify for the Champions League. They saw Chelsea and Liverpool drop points and responded with grit, togetherness and incredible desire to grab fourth place with this precious win. Although Son Heung-min almost scored a fluke equaliser in added time, West Ham earned their good fortune. They were clinical when chances arrived and dogged in the face of relentless pressure from Tottenham, who were far more potent once Gareth Bale decided it was time to show that his career is far from over.
Tottenham Hotsour:
Lloris, Tanganga (Doherty), Sanchez, Dier, Reguilon (Alli), Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Lucas, Lamela (Bale), Son, Kane
MANCHESTER CITY
Etihad Stadium
1 - 2 (Antonio)
27 February 2021
Ref: Michael Oliver
Att: (Covid)
Randolph
Diop
Dawson
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Johnson (Benrahma)
Fornals
Lingard
Antonio (Bowen)
West Ham United pushed Manchester City all the way, but were ultimately unable to prevent Pep Guardola’s men from registering a 20th straight win in all competitions.
The Hammers gave as good as they got at Etihad Stadium, and went in at the break level after Michail Antonio cancelled out Rúben Dias’ 30th minute header. But John Stones found the space inside the box to net his side’s winner midway through the half to hand the Hammers a first defeat in five Premier League games.
Manchester City:
Ederson, Walker, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko, De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Gündogan (Rodri), Mahrez, Agüero (Jesus), Torres (Foden)
LEEDS UNITED
London Stadium
2 - 0 (Dawsson, Lingard)
8 March 2021
Ref: Mike Dean
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Diop
Dawson
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Benrahma (Bowen)
Fornals
Lingard (Johnson)
Antonio
Jesse Lingard and Craig Dawson scored the goals to send West Ham United back up to fifth in the Premier League table as they saw off Leeds United.
The Hammers duo struck within seven minutes of each other to give their side a commanding position in the first half – and it was one they came within inches of adding to as both Dawson and Pablo Fornals both struck the woodwork.
Leeds kept going and emerged strongly in the second half, but despite chances for Patrick Bamford and Raphinha, they could not find a way past a resolute West Ham backline as David Moyes’ men continued their fine form.
Leeds United:
Meslier, Ayling, Llorente, Cooper, Dallas, Phillips, Hélder Costa (Harrison), Roberts (Rodrigo), Klich (Aliokski), Raphinha, Bamford
MANCHESTER UNITED
Old Trafford
0 - 1
14 March 2021
Ref: Martin Atkinson
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Diop
Dawson
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Johnson (Benrahma)
Noble (Lanzini)
Antonio
Bowen
West Ham United could consider themselves unfortunate as a second-half own-goal saw them slip to a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United in the Premier League. A combative encounter at Old Trafford yielded few clear shooting opportunities for either side, Mason Greenwood going closest before the break when Lukasz Fabianski did superbly to turn his low effort onto the post.
But despite doing well to frustrate their hosts in the first half, the Hammers conceded early in the second after a corner kick flashed off Craig Dawson's head and past Fabianski - enough, in the end, to deny David Moyes' side anything from the game. Greenwood would later hit Fabianski's post once more as the Irons pushed forwards in search of an equaliser, but the visitors were ultimately unable to produce the clear chance required to draw themselves level.
Manchester United:
Henderson, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, McTominay, Fred, Greenwood, Fernandes, James, Rashford
ARSENAL
London Stadium
3 - 3 (Bowen, Lingard, Soucek)
21 March 2021
Ref: Jonathan Moss
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Diop
Dawson
Cresswell
Coufal
Rice
Soucek
Bowen (Noble)
Lingard
Benrahma (Fredericks)
Antonio
West Ham United had to settle for a point after seeing Arsenal fight back from a 3-0 deficit to draw 3-3 at London Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Hammers roared out of the blocks and overwhelmed the Gunners in the early running, with Jesse Lingard's super strike, Jarrod Bowen's near-post finish and Tomáš Souček's close-range goal giving them a very healthy advantage inside 32 minutes.
Arsenal spent the rest of the game chipping away at the lead, though, with unfortunate own goals from Souček and Craig Dawson aiding their cause. Michail Antonio hit the post as the Hammers looked to wrap the game up, but a fourth goal wouldn't come, and Arsenal took advantage by levelling late on through Alexandre Lacazette to ensure a frustrating end to a pulsating contest.
Arsenal:
Leno, Chambers, David Luiz, Marí, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka (Smith Rowe), Saka (Pépé), Ødegaard, Aubameyang (Martinelli), Lacazette
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Molineux
3 - 2 (Bowen, Fornals, Lingard)
5 Aoril 2021
Ref: Michael Oliver
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Diop
Dawson
Cresswell
Coufal
Masuaku (Johnson)
Soucek
Noble
Fornals (Benrahma)
Lingard
Antonio (Bowen)
West Ham United returned from the international break with victory in a five-goal thriller at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Just as against Arsenal in the last game before the Premier League’s March hiatus, the Hammers roared out of the blocks and flew into a 3-0 first half lead with a display of breathtaking, incisive, counter-attacking football.
Jesse Lingard was at the heart of their threat, scoring a superb solo opener with six minutes on the clock, before having a hand in both Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen’s goals that followed. Then, just as against Arsenal, the opposition came back into the contest, Leander Dendoncker and Fábio Silva notching either side of the break for Wolves to send Hammers nerves fluttering.
But this time they were able to solidify behind their shrinking lead and get over the line to claim three valuable points in their quest to maintain their challenge at the top end of the table.
Wolverhampton Wanderers:
Patricio, Semedo, Coady, Saïss, Aït-Nouri (Hoever), Dendoncker, Neves, Neto, Podence (Silva), Traoré, Willian José (Vitinha)
LEICESTER CITY
London Stadium
3 - 2 (Lingard 2, Bowen)
11 April 2021
Ref: Mike Dean
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Diop
Dawson
Cresswell (Balbuena)
Coufal
Masuaku
Soucek
Noble (Johnson)
Fornals
Lingard
Bowen (Benrahma)
West Ham United secured a league double over Leicester City at the London Stadium on Sunday thanks to a brace from Jesse Lingard and second half strike from Jarrod Bowen. After a quiet opening 30 minutes, the east Londoners came alive, with Lingard continuing his sensational form since arriving from Manchester United and firing in two goals before the break.
Bowen continued the onslaught into the second half, before Kelechi Iheanacho fired in two second half goals to set up an interesting finale. However, the Hammers hung on to claim all three points, and subsequently move back into the top four as well as completing a league double over their opponents.
Leicester City:
Schmeichel, Amartey (Thomas), Evans, Fofana, Pereira, Praet (Albirhgton), Tielemans, Ndidi, Castagne, Vardy, Iheanacho.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
St James' Park
2 - 3 (Diop, Lingard [pen])
17 April 2021
Ref: Kevin Friend
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Diop
Dawson
Ogbonna
Coufal
Noble (Benrahma)
Soucek
Johnson (Fredericks)
Fornals
Lingard (Lanzini)
Bowen
Ten-man West Ham United came from 2-0 down, but ultimately fell to defeat in a see-saw Premier League clash at Newcastle United. The Hammers’ hopes of a third straight win were dealt a telling blow in one 15 second spell in the opening period, when Craig Dawson tripped Joelinton, referee Kevin Friend played the advantage, and Allan Saint-Maximin went on to force an own goal from Issa Diop before Dawson was shown his second yellow.
Then just five minutes later Joelinton took advantage of a Łukasz Fabiański error to make it 2-0. That looked to be that, but West Ham came fighting back in style after the break, and scored twice in quick succession themselves to drag themselves level, Issa Diop nodding home before Jesse Lingard converted from the spot.
But there was still time for one final twist, as Newcastle forward Joe Willock was called from the bench and made an immediate impact by heading the winner with seven minutes to play.
Newcastle United:
Dúbravka, Fernández, Clark, Dummett, Murphy, Shelvey, Longstaff (Willock 81), Ritchie, Saint-Maximin (Wilson), Almirón, Joelinton (Carroll)
CHELSEA
London Stadium
0 - 1
24 April 2021
Ref: Chris Kavanagh
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Balbuena
Ogbonna
Diop
Coufal
Noble (Lanzini)
Soucek
Freericks (Johnson)
Fornals (Benrahma)
Lingard
Bowen
West Ham United suffered a narrow defeat to Chelsea as Timo Werner’s goal late in the first half proved enough to separate the sides. With both teams in the hunt in the race for the top-four, this was a tight and edgy affair, but it was the visitors who found the route to goal to claim maximum points.
Werner was perfectly positioned to turn home from close range two minutes before the interval, giving his side a base they would not relinquish. The Hammers had a penalty shout for handball against César Azpilicueta turned down, while Jesse Lingard shot wide of the mark in the second period, but in truth the Hammers found it tough to create clear chances. Fabián Balbuena was harshly sent-off late in the piece after catching Ben Chilwell in his follow through from a clearance.
Chelsea:
Mendy, Rüdiger, Silva, Christensen, Azpilicueta (James), Kanté, Jorginho, Chilwell, Mount, Pulisic (Ziyech), Werner (Abraham)
BURNLEY
Turf Moor
2 - 1 (Antonio 2)
3 May 2021
Ref: Anthony Taylor
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Coufal
Dawson
Diop
Cresswell
Soucek
Lanzini
Fornals
Lingard
Benrahma (Bowen)
Antonio
Michail Antonio made a triumphant return to the West Ham United team at Burnley, scoring twice in the first half to give his side a vital 2-1 victory. The Hammers were bright throughout, but trailed early on to Chris Wood’s penalty and had to show admirable resilience to fight back almost instantly.
Antonio got on the end of crosses from Vladimír Coufal and Saïd Benrahma to turn the game around and give the Hammers the platform their play deserved.
The No30’s personal quest for a hat-trick was thwarted only by a number of near misses as West Ham looked to make the contest safe, and although they ultimately would not be able to add a third, his early brace proved enough to separate the sides.
Burnley:
Pope, Lowton, Mee, Tarkowski, Taylor, Brownhill, Cork, Westwood, McNeil (Gudmundsson), Wood (Barnes), Vydra (Rodriguez)
EVERTON
London Stadium
0 - 1
9 May 2021
Ref: Stuart Attwell
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Coufal
Diop
Dawson
Cresswell (Fredericks)
Soucek
Lanzini (Bowen)
Fornals
Lingard
Benrahma (Yarmolenko)
Antonio
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s first half goal was enough to send West Ham United to defeat against Everton at London Stadium. The Hammers huffed and puffed against the Toffees – and saw the majority of the ball – but were repelled by a fine defensive display from the Merseysiders, who blocked their route to goal.
Saïd Benrahma nodded narrowly over before the break, while Vladimír Coufal struck the upright in the second half, but there was no way through for the Hammers, who missed an opportunity to put daylight between themselves and the visitors in the Premier League table.
Everton:
Pickford, Keane, Mina (Holgate), Godfrey, Coleman, Allan, Davies, Digne, Sigurdsson (Delph), Richarlison (King), Calvert-Lewin
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
Amex Stadium
1 - 1 (Benrahma)
15 May 2021
Ref: Andre Marriner
Att: (Covid)
Fabianski
Coufal
Ogbonna
Dawson
Cresswell
Rice
Soucek
Bowen (Benrahma)
Lingard
Fornals
Antonio
Said Benrahma's first goal for West Ham United saw them claim a point at the Amex Stadium in a lively 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. The Irons' European ambitions looked in peril when a match largely light on clear-cut chances burst into life in the last five minutes, Danny Welbeck bursting clear to chip Lukasz Fabianski and put the home team in front.
But just three minutes later, Algeria international Benrahma - having entered the field of play as a second-half substitute - earned his side an important draw with an exquisite curling finish from the edge of the area.
A draw was the least the Hammers deserved from a match full of huff and puff, but often lacking in terms of the quality of final pass from both sides.
Brighton & Hove Albion:
Sánchez, White, Webster, Burn, Moder, Groß, Bissouma, Alzate (Lallana), Jahanbakhsh (Tau), Trossard (Zeqiri), Welbeck
WEST BROMWICH ALBION
The Hawthorns
3 - 1 (Antonio, Ogbonna, Soucek)
19 May 2021
Ref: Michael Oliver
Att: (Covid)
Randolph
Coufal
Ogbonna
Dawson
Cresswell
Rice
Soucek
Benrahma (Bowen)
Lingard
Fornals (Diop)
Antonio
Two well-taken late goals saw West Ham United move within a point of securing their place in next season's Europa League after a 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion.
Having been held on the road by Brighton & Hove Albion four days prior, David Moyes' team endured a challenging first half at The Hawthorns, with Declan Rice hitting the post with a penalty inside two minutes before conceding to Matheus Pereira's direct corner kick.
Yet as they have done so often this season, the team in Claret and Blue showcased their powers of recovery when Tomáš Souček stabbed in Said Benrahma's low cross on the stroke of half-time.
And after a second half which saw both teams enjoy their share of opportunities - West Ham going closest when Aaron Cresswell struck the woodwork with an opportunistic free-kick - Angelo Ogbonna thundered in to head home a corner in the closing stages.
Three priceless points were wrapped up five minutes later when Michail Antonio finished off a superb counter-attack to put the Irons on the verge of qualifying for European football through their league position for just the third time in the Club's history.
West Bromwich Albion:
Johnstone, Furlong, Bartley, Ajayi, Townsend, Gallagher, Yokuslu (Grant), Maitland-Niles (Diangana), Pereira, Robson-Kanu (Diagne), Phillips
SOUTHAMPTON
London Stadium
3 - 0 (Fornals 2, Rice)
23 May 2021
Ref: Martin Atkinson
Att: 10,000
Fabianski
Coufal
Ogbonna
Dawson
Cresswell
Rice (Diop)
Soucek
Bowen (Noble)
Lingard
Fornals
Antonio (Benrahma)
A first-half brace from Pablo Fornals and a late goal from Declan Rice saw West Ham United beat Southampton to cap a memorable 2020/21 season with qualification for the UEFA Europa League.
Going into the final game of the season knowing that a point would be enough to secure sixth place - and with it European football next season - the Irons' initial nerves were settled by a quickfire pair of close-range finishes from Fornals midway through the first half.
Those goals sent the 10,000 Claret and Blue-clad supporters - attending London Stadium for the first time since December - into delirium, and granted the Hammers an element of control they thenceforth never looked like relinquishing.
A late break from Rice saw the West Ham captain slot past Southampton 'keeper Alex McCarthy to cap a glorious day in East London - sealing a 3-0 win which sets the Club's all-time record for Premier League points in a single season at 65.
Southampton:
McCarthy, Walker-Peters (Romeu), Vestergaard, Bednarek, Salisu, Redmond, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Diallo, Minamino (Tella), Ings
