West Ham rode to a 3-0 win over West Brom, away at the Hawthorns.
West Ham needed to seize all three points from this fixture, if they were to apply any pressure to Manchester United, who sit neck-and-neck with them on the table, and who play Leicester on Sunday. They duly did, quite comfortably, as Mark Noble bagged a brace for the second consecutive game, both from open play this time.
West Brom began the match with zest and incision, a rare thing for this team, but Craig Gardner was unable to covert any of the three golden chances he had in that opening stanza. West Ham survived as a result, and soon took a firm grasp of the match, with Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Cheikhou Kouyate all excelling in midfield. Andy Carroll was vigorous and involved, and Winston Reid ably handled the mammoth task of managing Salomon Rondon.
RECORD BREAKERS! That's 60 @premierleague goals for the season. Our previous best was 56 back in 1997/98 ⚒ #WHUFC pic.twitter.com/HquXUvevai
— West Ham United FC (@whufc_official) 30 April 2016
Stifled in attack – as they usually are – by their own backward-thinking system, West Brom only occasionally threatened Adrian’s goal. There is little for West Brom to play for over these last few games, save for a slight fluctuation in mid-table league position.
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