West Ham United sealed a crucial 3-1 victory over Sunderland at London Stadium on Saturday, moving the Hammers to within striking distance of safety and all but knocking Nottingham Forest out of the 17th-place playoff spot.
Darren Moore's Sunderland side were dealt a significant blow in the first half as West Ham came out swinging. Michail Antonio broke the deadlock with his 24th league goal just three minutes in, before Jesse Lingard doubled the hosts' lead six minutes later. The West Ham faithful were sensing an early victory as Alexander Buttner pulled one back midway through the first half.
However, that was as close as Sunderland got to catching up. West Ham's attacking quartet of Antonio, Lingard, Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma dominated the second half, stretching the visitors' defense with every opportunity.
Jarrod Bowen bagged his fifth Premier League goal in a single season when he netted a 79th-minute winner that sealed all three points for the hosts. The result marked a significant turning point in West Ham's survival bid, and sent a clear message to their fellow strugglers that they can't afford to drop any more points.
For Moore's Sunderland side, this latest defeat marked a dismal return to form after a few impressive results in recent weeks.
Darren Moore's Sunderland side were dealt a significant blow in the first half as West Ham came out swinging. Michail Antonio broke the deadlock with his 24th league goal just three minutes in, before Jesse Lingard doubled the hosts' lead six minutes later. The West Ham faithful were sensing an early victory as Alexander Buttner pulled one back midway through the first half.
However, that was as close as Sunderland got to catching up. West Ham's attacking quartet of Antonio, Lingard, Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma dominated the second half, stretching the visitors' defense with every opportunity.
Jarrod Bowen bagged his fifth Premier League goal in a single season when he netted a 79th-minute winner that sealed all three points for the hosts. The result marked a significant turning point in West Ham's survival bid, and sent a clear message to their fellow strugglers that they can't afford to drop any more points.
For Moore's Sunderland side, this latest defeat marked a dismal return to form after a few impressive results in recent weeks.
and gotta say west ham played an insane game! 3-1 is a huge win for them and it shows they're really starting to come together as a team 
. i mean, their attacking lineup is just so deadly right now - antonio, lingard, bowen, benrahma... that's a lot of firepower 
. and for moore's side, it's like they took two steps back after those good results last month 
. they can't afford to drop points anymore if they wanna make the playoffs 
. anyways, west ham's fans must be over the moon right now 
!
they really need these 3 points now to stay up, it's like the whole team lifted their game 
jesse lingard was also boss out there, i'm loving his performance 
jarrod bowen's goal was insane, that guy's gonna score a lot more this season 
️
like seriously how are they doing it their midfield trio of antonio lingard and bowen are just tearing up the opposition left right and center they're all so clinical in front of goal too which makes them an even bigger threat to all the other teams struggling to stay up
also darren moore's salford project would benefit from some west ham tactics this midfeld trio of lingard, bowen & benrahma is absolute madness 
I think the most important thing about West Ham's win is how it reflects on their team spirit and determination. They played like they had nothing to lose, which kinda worked for them. It's also clear that they've got some quality players in that squad, especially Michail Antonio - he's a beast on the pitch! 
But what really impressed me was Jarrod Bowen's goal, it was like he just wanted to get that win so badly and prove himself. You can see the team lifted by his strike, they all seemed more confident after that 3-1 scoreline. 
they need like 5-6 more wins and theyre gonna be safe no problem! 
️ darren moore needs to step up his game tho, Sunderland just got destroyed 
and i think west ham should be right up there with liverpool in the europa league race now.
, but at the same time, I feel bad for Sunderland because they were playing so well earlier on and then just had a bit of a collapse in the first half 
. But on the other hand, I'm not sure if West Ham's winning ways will translate to the playoffs... I mean, they've only won one game out of their last three and that was against Sunderland 
. And what about Nottingham Forest? They still have a good chance of making it in, right? Maybe I'm just reading too much into it... *shrugs*
! West Ham's squad is looking super strong with those four attackers on fire 
Michail Antonio's goal was a beautiful strike, and I'm glad he's getting the recognition he deserves 
. But what really caught my attention is how well West Ham's team is gelling together 
They're playing some seriously slick football right now, and it's no wonder they're starting to move up the table 
. For Sunderland, though... 
Moore needs to figure out what's going on with his team and make some changes ASAP 
. It was a tough day for him, but I'm sure he'll bounce back stronger 
. Michail Antonio is like the Premier League's version of a bad penny – you can't get rid of him, no matter how many times he gets sent off 
. And Jesse Lingard just keeps racking up those goals like he's trying to make up for his transfer fee or something 
. On a more serious note, this win was a big boost for West Ham and it looks like they're finally out of the woods. Bring on the next match! 
. One minute you're thinking "sunderland's got this," the next West Ham's putting it to bed 
. Either way, I'm loving the drama and unpredictability of it all 
!
I'm so stoked for West Ham 
! This win gets them so close to safety 
, 'cause West Ham is all over this! 
and Bowen got that winner at the perfect time 
. Not sure about Sunderland tho, they just can't catch a break 
. Moore needs to get his team back on track ASAP