This was the kind of ruthless performance that has defined David Moyes’s second spell at West Ham. In front of a raucous New Year’s Day home crowd and against opponents who clearly fancied their chances of bloodying the noses of their London rivals, two brilliant first-half goals from Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini – and Luka Milivojevic’s helping hand – ensured that their Champions League dream remains alive and well despite a late Crystal Palace fightback.
Had Jean-Philippe Mateta’s last-gasp volley sailed the other side of the post then it could have been a different story but with more than half the season completed, West Ham find themselves within a point of Arsenal and one ahead of Spurs, albeit having played two games more than Antonio Conte’s side. Anyone who had already written them off after their mini-blip last month may have to think again.
