Vlasic signs

Encouraging start to deadline day with Nikola Vlasic signing from CSKA Moscow at a price of £26.8m plus a possible £7.7m in add-ons. He's one of Croatia's most promising attacking midfielders and scored against Scotland in the Euros. Nikola had a disappointing spell at Everton when he was 19 but was hampered by the sacking of Ronald Koeman and then not being selected by Sam Allardyce. He's done much better at CSKA Moscow and the bearded midfielder can certainly shoot looking at his YouTube showreel. This might scupper and move for Lingard but Moyes now has thechance to rotate Vlasic with Benrahma, Bowen and Fornals. Next step should be a striker by 11pm.

Palace spoil West Ham's party

West Ham 2 Crystal Palace 2

It's off to this one with daughter Nell, after a long wait for a hipster hot dog at the Milk Float barge at Hackney Wick. We just make the kick-off and it's another cracking atmosphere with the Irons top of the league and crisis club Arsenal thumped 5-0 at Man City.

This was always going to be a big test after the euphoria of Monday night. The first half is all West Ham though Palace maintain the imprint of a Roy Hodgson side and are difficult to break down, increasingly causing West Ham to misplace passes. Ward has to clear off the line after a dodgy header from one of his own defenders and Dawson goes close after another melee. 

The Hammers take the lead with a fine goal. Benrahma plays a lovely ball thought to Antonio, who plays a double one-two with Fornals leaving the Spaniard with a tap-in. It's the sort of slick-passing that Man City employ. But the Hammers fail to capitalise on their lead with Fornals playing his cross just behind a free Benrahma.

Nigel eschews eating his lucky banana at half-time as we meet up with The Gav in the concourse. Bowen sets up Benrahma for a shot at the start of the second half but Palace improve dramatically as West Ham look increasingly leggy. Palace score with their first shot on target. Zaha crosses, Benteke wins a header and Gallagher produces a clever finish to skew the ball beyond Dawson and Fabianski from a tight angle. 

CHICKEN DANCE

At least the crowd respond with more positive energy. It looks like the game is won in the 68th minute when Cresswell's long ball deflects off Andersen and the back of Antonio's head to fall nicely for the Irons' talisman to thump home a great finish — just as Mystic Matt is saying we won't score from a long ball. Michail reprises Kevin Nolan's chicken dance as a celebration. 

The lead only lasts two minutes as the Irons fail to defend properly again. McArthur crosses and Conor Gallagher controls it, drags the ball back with his left foot to beat Dawson and fires home with his right ti send the away fans into ecstasy. 

The home crowd respond with a rousing Bubbles and keep with the side, though late appearances from Lanzini and Yarmolenko test the patience of the Vicar's Son. Palace almost win it when Rice is forced to give away a free kick and Guehi heads over when well-placed. Then it's West Ham's turn to break as Antonio plays a poor ball when Benrahma is free and looking likely to score.

DRAWING DRAWING WEST HAM

So it ends in a draw and it has to be said it's been a cracking game as well as a reality check. We'd surely have settled for seven points from the first three games at the start of the season. Then it's off to see Michael the Whovian's play A Certain Term at the White Bear with Fraser, Lisa and a restrained Matt, who never once calls for the understudy to come on. A few pints of Neck Oil and a fine theatrical outing reduce our disappointment. 

Two weeks' rest now and Zouma is coming in to resolve some of the defensive jitters. This game proved there's not enough on the Hammers' bench and whether we can sign a striker and midfielder in the next three days will surely shape our season.

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 6; Coufal 6, Dawson 5, Ogbonna 6, Cresswell 7; Rice 7, Soucek 6, Fornals 7 (Yarmolenko n/a), Bowen 7 (Lanzini 5), Benrahma 6; Antonio 8.

King Kurt

David Moyes' policy of patience in the transfer market appears to have paid off with the £29.8 million signing of Kurt Zouma — presumably after organising a Zouma meeting with his agent. It's a lot of money for a defender and there's a risk his reputed high wages could cause resentment among the lower-earners around him, though if he performs well on the pitch that will surely be forgotten.

Zouma is a good age at 26 and played 36 times for Chelsea last season, also being on the bench for the Champions League Final. Not all are convinced. My pal the Vicar's Son feels Zouma's always got a mistake in him and lacks pace. But perhaps we should trust in Moyes after he called Soucek, Bowen and Lingard right, and as a former defender himself Moyesy should know his centre-backs. It's also worth remembering that Zouma was talked about as a long-term successor to John Terry and Jose Mourinho rated him. 

Zouma has played 151 times in all competitions for Chelsea. He has won two titles and three League Cups and played in FA Cup Finals. He's a French international and has the useful loan experience of seasons at Stoke and Everton. His concentration might need to improve, but even on rumoured wages of £100k plus a week he is a quality addition to the squad, the sort of no-nonsense defender we need. With Dawson, Ogbonna, Diop and Zouma the options at centre back look good and we can rotate in Europe. Now we just need a striker and midfielder.

European tour begins

A decent draw in the Europa League. Happy to get two big clubs in Dinamo Zagreb and Rapid Vienna (it means nothing to me?), while Belgian side Genk, based in a former coal mining city turned creative hub, might be Europa's equivalent to a wet Thursday night in Stoke. And let's just be thankful FC Astra aren't involved. All rather exciting to see West Ham involved in a European draw — I'm reminded of all the years Arsenal fans spent moaning about only qualifying in 4th place for the Champions League. They're missing it now it's gone. West Ham's forays into Europe are rare — let's enjoy it.

We're top of the league!

West Ham 4 (four) Leicester City 1

After 18 months we're all back in the London Stadium feeling childishly excited, having arrived an hour before kick-off. Nigel is wearing his vintage Deep Purple t-shirt to add some colour for the blog, Matt and Lisa have left the Best Cafe early to be here and Private Fraser is saying he never doubted Captain Moyes for a moment. 

Meanwhile Scott is behind us with Steve the Cornish Postie, up on a delayed train from Poldark-land that took a mere eight hours, plus Joe, who is carrying a bag containing a book of Basque recipes and a Dictionary, as you do. We're minus foul weather fan Alison and Michael the Whovian is also absent, as he has a play to run, though he will have been gutted to miss Ricardo Vaz Te on the big screen. Matt dispenses copies of When Saturday Comes plus footie and Wainwright paperbacks, while Nigel tempts fate by saying that if we win 4-0 we go top. 

THEY FLY SO HIGH

Bubbles is rousing after all this time as the team come on accompanied by flame throwers (best kept away from Bobby Moore's pubs) and there's a carnival atmosphere among the fans. Benrahma has an early sighter, but the first half an hour is fairly equal. But it's West Ham who take the lead with a marvellously incisive goal. Rice picks up Vardy's loose ball and finds Bowen who feeds Fornals. Pablo lets the ball run across his body in Brooking-esque fashion, plays a one two with Benrahma and strokes home the return with a cleverly weighted shot. The new squared-off ends ensure a much more fervent celebration as the stadium goes effing mental. 

It gets better for WHU as Fornals goes down after a challenge from Perez, VAR gets involved and the Leicester forward is red-carded for a clumsy forward's challenge. Soucek and Ogbonna go close with headers as the Hammers go in at the break winning one-nil. At half-time Nigel is discouraged from eating his lucky banana as we struggle to find something to complain about. 

It's the best atmosphere we've had at the London Stadium and the intensity of the crowd appears to unsettle ten-man Leicester. Soyuncu plays a blind back-pass to Schmeichel that Antonio intercepts and coolly plays in Benrahma for Said to tap home his second of the season.

The Irons look certain to score a third. Fornals whips in a great cross and Antonio has a header well saved by Schmeichel. If he'd headed it downwards he would have scored. Creswell then volleys just over from the edge of the box.

Only suddenly Leicester are back in it. Maddison crosses and Tielemans' shot rebounds off Cresswell and rather luckily falls straight back to him, ready for the Leicester man to poke home. Encouragingly the home crowd respond positively and roar the lads forward. 

TAKING THE MICHAIL

Antonio's long range effort is tipped round the post by Schmeichel and Dawson heads wide. Finally the game is put to bed in the 80th minute. The indefatigable Rice gets down the left, aided by a clever return pass from Cresswell, and crosses in to the box. Antonio has his back to goal but holds off Soyuncu to swivel and shoot home. Having broken Paolo Di Canio's record to become West Ham's top PL scorer, he races to the dug out to re-enact a scene from Dirty Dancing with a giant cut-out of himself. 

Four minutes later he's at it again, taking a great touch from Coufal's cross to bamboozle the Foxes' defence and poke home. What a night. "Antonio!! Antonio!!" echoes around the stadium. They'll be dancing in the streets of Crantock tonight.

Perhaps this is the game where the London Stadium finally started to feel like home.Even better Mystic Morris wasn't quite accurate with his 4-0 prediction — 4-1 is enough to take us top on goals scored. Stop the season now!

We retreat to the Refreshment Rooms for a couple of pints of Meantime as Nigel finally eats his lucky banana before dashing for the last train to Felixstowe. What a start to the season it's been, though Nigel does point out that Carlisle were once top after three games. We still need to sign some players, but we'll take this. All we have to do is keep Antonio fir for 60-odd games. Irons!

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 6; Coufal 7, Dawson 7, Ogbonna 7, Cresswell 7; Rice 8, Soucek 7, Benrahma 8 (Noble n/a), Fornals 8, Bowen 7; Antonio 9 (Yarmolenko n/a).

If the kids are United

Great to see that West Ham's Under-23 side thrashed Arsenal 6-1 on Monday night, admittedly aided by senior players Yarmolenko, Lanzini and Masuaku. For all the lack of transfer activity, it's worth noting that Moyes might be about to save a lot of money by placing his faith in WHU's kids. Armstrong Oko-Flex, the new signing from Celtic, got a hat-trick. Odubeko scored a good poacher's goal and might yet be able to understudy Antonio. Great things are expected from Jamal Baptiste, Thierry Nevers and Dan Chesters are also promising and Conor Coventry is already on the bench for the first-team. Whatever happens in the window, there are youngsters waiting to come through.

Second half fightback sees Hammers enjoy afternoon on the Toon

Newcastle United 2 West Ham United 4 (four)

Great to hear the Hammers away fans in full voice again on Now TV though it's a poor very start from the Irons. Five minutes in Saint-Maximin twists and turns past Rice to get a cross in and the poorly-marked Wilson heads home. He always scores against us so we had been warned.

But as happened so often last season, we show character to bounce back. A nice patient move sees the ball worked to Cresswell, whose cross goes through a crowd of players and into the net. After a worrying VAR pause it's given as Bowen only touched the ball when it was already over the line. Bowen makes a great run to wriggle though the defence only to fire against Woodman's legs. Almiron's shot hits the bar, but it's the Irons looking the most likely to score, even if Saint-Maximin causes panic whenever he has the ball. 

But the good work is ruined just before the break when Ritchie's cross is headed home by the unmarked Murphy. Understandably Rice, Soucek and Coufal are looking a bit leggy after their Euro exertions and at half-time it seems evident that we need some signings to freshen up the squad.

The old West Ham would have lost this, but once Rice gets going a remarkable comeback ensues. Declan takes the ball off Saint-Maximin and feeds Bowen who finds Antonio, who does well to dig out a cross that is headed home by Said Behrahma. Always said the Algerian playmaker was deadly in the air.

It's soon 3-2 when Antonio heads Coufal's cross against the post and then Fornals is brought down. Antonio's penalty is saved but Soucek is alert enough to net the rebound. The fourth is a classic counter-attacking goal. Benrahma waits just long enough to play in the onrushing Antonio, who fires home a belter. 

Even Now TV experiencing technical difficulties for the final 20 minutes doesn't have me too worried. Under Moyes we know how to see out a game. Once Declan and the Czechs got going we looked much better and it's great for Benrahma's confidence to get a goal and an assist in the first match. We still need some signings — even if it does look like Harry Kane is holding out for a move to the Hammers. But this was carrying on where we left off last season and a performance of some character. Irons!

Declan goes underground

One happy legacy of Euro 2020 is that thanks to this Adidas ad, Declan Rice is still big in Finsbury Park station. This poster can be found on the Victoria line right in the heart of Arsenal country. COYI!

Takeover talk

A good insightful piece in The Athletic on the takeover bid by PAI Capital. Sentences such as "funded by an Azerbaijani millionaire currently embroiled in a 'bitter legal dispute' over allegations of corruption in the former Soviet republic" don't exactly fill me with confidence. Nor does the involvement of former QPR chief executive Phillip Beard, in situ from 2011-2015. Rangers have been run very poorly and under Tony Fernandes splurged a massive amount of money while getting relegated twice. Rio and Anton Ferdinand have been used to endorse the deal, but this seems like PR window-dressing.

Admittedly the consortium's plans to buy the stadium from the LLDC make sense, as does their plan to make the match-day experience involve the whole park. But can we be sure that it's not all about a property deal, as Sullivan and Gold insist?

The Athletic writes: "PAI Capital’s founder is Nasib Piriyev, the son of Nizami Piriyev, a businessman who was arrested by the Azerbaijani authorities in May 2015. The Azerbaijan government also issued an Interpol arrest notice for Nasib Piriyev, who has been based in London for several years.The Piriyevs claim these actions were politically motivated and deny all wrongdoing."

Does the consortium have £400 million in cash?  And should they be doing their business in public? A lot more information is needed before I'll be convinced about this, but credit to The Athletic for some good digging.

First trophy of the season!

West Ham 2 Atalanta 0 (Betway Cup)

So Declan Rice has now played in two major cup finals this summer and the first trophy of the season is in our new trophy cabinet from Ikea. My pal Matt was among the 30,000 fans (great crowd for a pre-season friendly) and reports that the club didn't have enough programmes to cope with demand. Benrahma looked full of confidence, hit the bar and had two assists. Perhaps not signing Lingard will give him the incentive to become the main playmaker. 

Antonio and Fornals got the goals while a clean sheet is always encouraging. It's difficult to read too much into warm-up games, but beating a team that finished third in the Italian league isn't bad. And a nice touch from Mark Noble letting Jamal Baptiste lift the trophy. Finally we've won a cup — even if it's one we invented ourselves. Several signings still need to be made but pre-season has been encouraging.