Lingard stars as Hammers move up to fifth

West Ham 3 Sheffield United 0

Antonio has failed a fitness test so it's a West Ham side without any strikers. With Bowen nominally up front it works surprisingly well as Bowen, Lingard and Lanzini interchange and generally confuse Sheffield's big defenders who are left with no-one to mark. There's early controversy as a Rice free kick is saved by Ramsdale and Dawson is felled trying to get the rebound. A penalty is given and then taken away by VAR because Dawson was marginally offside.

Much of the first half is even in possession terms, though Lingard looks fit and speedy on the break, twice testing Ramsdale. The breakthrough comes just before half-time as Lingard pounces on a United error and breaks. He plays a give and go with Bowen before Basham lives up to his name and takes Jesse out in the box. Despite Lingard's plea to take it Rice sensibly points out that he is the designated penalty taker and scores with a cool shot into the bottom corner.

There's a scare at the start of the second half as Fabianski has to produce a brilliant save from McGoldrick's header, which has been deflected off Johnson. But the game is effectively put to bed after 55 minutes when Issa Diop gets his head on Cresswell's corner. A good moment for the returning big man.

Sheffield are not pretty in pink and West Ham threaten to get a third when Coufal seizes on a mistake and races through only to hesitate and give Ramsdale the chance to parry. Noble is brought on to shore up the midfield as the Blades remain largely toothless up front. 

The third arrives in the 96th minutes as two subs combine. Benrahma bamboozles the United defence with some nifty footwork. The defence stands off Fredericks and the late sub fires home unchallenged. One goal from four minutes' on the pitch. Three unlikely scorers round off a good night's work and credit to Ben Johnson too, who has played well as a left wing-back. Moyes is so happy he forgets to sub Jarrod Bowen, who remains on the field for 96 minutes.

Sheffield are surely doomed but this was a game we could easily have slipped up in. The Hammers are fifth and Antonio should be back for Spurs. And barring a Roeder-esque season we're unlikely to go down on 42 points! The next few games should decide if this season really turns into something special but this was another good moment for Moyes and his men. Irons!

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 7; Coufal 6, Diop 7, Dawson 6, Cresswell 6, Johnson 7 (Fredericks 7); Rice 7, Soucek 6, Lanzini 6 (Noble 6), Lingard 8 (Benrahma 6); Bowen 6.