West Ham claimed a vital 1-0 victory over top-four rivals Wolves at London Stadium on Sunday.
A quiet start to the game saw the Hammers slowly build the confidence to attack in numbers, which led to Ben Johnson breaking the line to win a free-kick in a dangerous position. Aaron Cresswell flashed his effort wide of Jose Sa’s far-post.
Michail Antonio was next to test the Wolves goalkeeper before Declan Rice cracked a fierce long-range shot against the woodwork.
The visitors, with youngster Fabio Silva in up front for Raul Jimenez, struggled to find a focal point to their attacks. Hwang Hee-chan shot off-target with their best opening of the first-half, in stoppage time.
Bruno Lage rallied his side for a decent start to the second period but West Ham led through Tomas Soucek, stretching to divert Antonio’s pass home after 59 minutes of his 27th-birthday appearance.
The game inevitably opened up to present both sides with chances to grab the next goal, particularly Fabio Silva for Wolves during his fascinating battle with Kurt Zouma.
Jarrod Bowen and Antonio failed to make big openings pay for the Hammers yet the points were still secure, delivering David Moyes’ side to fifth in the table.
