It's surely a lucky omen when Michael buys his first ever programme enticed by the prospect of six pages on American Idol Jonathan Spector, the only West Ham player to read the Financial Times.
It's a strange Sunday evening 7pm kick-off, but inside the stadium the atmosphere is cracking and Nigel's season ticket has worked for two games running. We're joined by Fraser, sporting a Big Sam-style tan after a scouting trip to Portugal, Matt and Lisa.
West Ham start off with some early attacks but United threaten on the break through the speed of Rashford. Fernandes drags a shot narrowly wide, then so does Antony, while Rashford cuts inside to graze the post.
West Ham take the lead when Benrahma escapes Shaw close to the centre circle and races into the United half. He has three players around him but makes ground with a surging run and then fires off a fairly tame shot. De Gea goes down like a fallen conifer and can only help Benni's rocket into the net. The crowd celebrate in disbelief. Nigel says it's always worth hoping for a fumble from the 'keeper - and he's got some opinions on shooting too.
Antony shoots against the outside of the post soon after but the Hammers remain reassuringly resilient. Rice is everywhere and Kehrer is having a solidly aggressive game at right-back, while Antonio's strength is causing problems for the United defence. Just before the break the Irons are denied a penalty when after De Gea saves from Benrahma, Lindelof handles, in fact juggles, in the box - in the current climate it should surely have been given.
At half-time Mystic May and Fraser predict a 1-0 home win though a pessimistic Mystic Morris goes for a United victory. The second half sees West Ham make a determined effort to get a second goal, with Paqueta increasingly influential. Soucek stings the palms of De Gea with a shot.
"West Ham are massive!" chants the crowd. From Kehrer's long throw Antonio and De Gea go up for the ball, the keeper falls to the ground and Antonio hooks home. The goal is disallowed though replays show there's not too much wrong with it - Antonio's arm brushes De Gea but it's hard to belief this would be a foul against an outfield player.
Next, after good work from Benni, Paqueta crosses and Soucek volleys into the side-netting. Another Paqueta cross sees Soucek head home, only for the goal to be disallowed as Soucek is offside.
WEST HAM ARE MASSIVE
United look tired after playing on Thursday, but make a determined effort to snatch a point. Fabianski has to make a fine tip over to deny Rashford. The keeper then palms away an effort from sub Martial. On 75 minutes Matt and Nigel debate what other entertainment form sees you paying large sums of money but wanting it to be over as quickly as possible.
Soucek is injured defending a corner but bravely plays on. There's a nerve-wracking eight minutes of injury time as huge choruses of Bubbles waft over the London Stadium.
Moyes makes good use of time-wasting substitutions, bringing on Fornals, Downes, Johnson and Emerson. There's an almighty scare as Fernandes' corner is headed across the six-yard box by Martial. Flynn Downes does well to get the ball into the corner in the ninth minute of added time. Finally the whistle blows and Moyes is on the pitch hugging Declan Rice. It's Moyesy's first league win against United since they sacked him.
We have time to make it to the Eagle for some bottles of East London Pale Ale as King Fraser is treated to non-coronation quiche and chips. Matt even has some top trivia about Joe Hart winning every English and Scottish trophy, asking which other players have done the same (the answer is Kenny Dalglish and Andrei Kanchelskis).
This was more like it - West Ham under the lights and the crowd playing a huge part in victory. Barring a set of miraculous results from Leeds, Everton, Leicester and Forest we're now up and can concentrate on trying to get to a European final. Irons!
PL:AYER RATINGS: Fabianski 8; Kehrer 8, Ogbonna 7, Aguerd 8, Cresswell 7 (Emerson n/a); Rice 9, Soucek 7, Benrahma 8 (Fornals n/a), Paqueta 8 (Downes n/a), Bowen 7, Antonio 8 (Johnson n/a).
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