West Ham 1 - 0 SunderlandWest Ham sink Sunderland with last-minute winner from Winston Reid
Home team scorersWinston Reid 90 +3:48
Deeper and deeper Sunderland dropped, until they were almost defending from their six-yard box and there was an inevitability about the cruel blow that came from Winston Reid’s left foot. Having given up all pretence that they were trying to nick a goal on the break, Sunderland were asking for it and Reid duly obliged when the centre-back finally shattered their resistance with his unlikely winner deep into stoppage time, earning West Ham United their first league win at the London Stadium since August.
Still searching for their first victory of the season, the league’s bottom side only had themselves to blame. West Ham played poorly but somehow did enough to build on last weekend’s restorative victory over Crystal Palace.
Sunderland had the air of a side waiting for the punishment to begin in the opening 20 minutes, leaving Jermain Defoe hopelessly isolated by dropping far too deep, and there was a sense that they were ready to adopt the foetal position every time West Ham attacked.
The basics were beyond Sunderland during those awkward early moments, as they conceded possession and gave away cheap set-pieces with far too much regularity, encouraging West Ham.
Slaven Bilic kept faith with the 3-4-2-1 system that worked so well at Selhurst Park, with Edimilson Fernandes making his first league start in place of the suspended Aaron Cresswell on the left, and Sunderland were pinned back from the first whistle, meaning it was a long time before the home fans had a chance to direct pantomime boos at Defoe.
The service to West Ham’s former striker was wretched and there were times when Defoe looked disheartened, hardly busting a gut to run into the area when Wahbi Khazri led a rare break down the right.
Dimitri Payet had West Ham’s three best chances of the first half, curling wide after a neat exchange with Mark Noble, shooting too close to Jordan Pickford at the end of a brilliant dribble through the heart of the Sunderland defence and hitting the base of the right post with an effort from 18 yards out.
An early goal might have extinguished the uncertainty that weighs West Ham down in their new home, but their intensity and urgency faded as sloppy passing in midfield began to undermine them. Noble was particularly culpable and Sunderland grew in stature as the half wore on, threatening when Jack Rodwell sent a narrow header over from Khazri’s free-kick.
Simone Zaza looped an overhead kick just wide but Sunderland were asserting themselves. With all of West Ham’s full-backs unavailable, they were vulnerable in the wide areas. Fernandes, a young Swiss midfielder who arrived in the summer, showed promise on the ball but playing as a left wing-back exposed his defensive inexperience at times.
After surviving the initial onslaught from West Ham, Sunderland attacked with more intent in the second half and Khazri wasted an excellent opportunity when he ran through on goal, letting himself down with an insipid finish that Adrian saved easily.
Concerned by West Ham’s increasingly ragged play, Bilic brought on Sofiane Feghouli for Michail Antonio and Jonathan Calleri for the ineffective Zaza, but Lamine Koné’s expert fine work in central defence ensured that Sunderland were looking comfortable.
Even Payet appeared to have run out of ideas long before the final whistle. Inevitably, though, he played a part in West Ham’s winner. His decision to take a short corner with Noble looked misguided at first and he almost overran the ball before passing it to Reid, who turned and hammered a low shot through the bodies and past Pickford.
There was a suggestion of offside against Jonathan Calleri, who let the ball run through his legs as it fizzed in, but the flag stayed down and Sunderland slumped again.
Guardian