The unfamiliar sensation coursing through West Ham is hope. Seemingly down and out after losing to Nottingham Forest earlier this month, the prospect of Nuno Espírito Santo pulling off the unlikeliest of escape acts no longer feels that outlandish now. There is life yet in West Ham, even if they still have a mountain to climb after treating the London Stadium to the rare sensation of a performance full of craft, desire and tactical intelligence.
Sunderland were blown away by three goals inside the first 43 minutes. It is rare for visitors to this ground to lose their composure but this was a day to forget for Régis Le Bris’s side. They were awful during the first half, folding as Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville ripped them apart on the flanks, and it summed up Sunderland’s afternoon when the closing stages of West Ham’s third consecutive win in all competitions were held up by the injured Granit Xhaka getting embroiled in a row with home fans sitting behind the away bench.
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