Manuel Pellegrini was thrilled with the comprehensive 2-0 win over Newcastle which supplied the perfect response on a day of high emotion at the London Stadium.
The tear-jerking moments as Billy Bonds become a Hammers immortal along with Mooro and Sir Trev was matched by a performance of some quality by the 2019 Hammers.
And with Bonzo smiling in the directors’ box at perhaps the most controlled display of the season it became a perfect East End day..
There were so many outstanding performances – notably in the first half to enjoy with Ryan Fredericks, Declan Rice, Manu Lanzini and Isa Diop taking the top slots for me.
At the end of the perfect day we rose to ninth place in the table just one point behind Watford and four behind Wolves in that highly prized seventh spot.
Robert Snodgrass too requires an honourable mention with a high energy performance with no little skill and supplying the corner for Rice’s opening goal.
And afterwards the manager said in hi presser: “I’m very happy because I think we played a good game. We were a solid team from the first minute until the end. We scored two goals and we won the points here at home, and we kept the clean-sheet.
“In the way we attacked and the way we tried to play as far from our own box as we can, that was pleasing. I think our individual performances were at a good level too, which is always important for the team.
“We tried to keep the ball, make good runs, and good movements. It was a complete day.”
Pellegrini also had words of praise for Bonzo declaring: “Bonds was such an important player for this club. First of all, I think it was a very good idea to put his name on the East Stand.
After that, with the team winning, you support all the celebrations of a player that deserved the support he received today.”
Saturday’s match also marked Manuel Lanzini’s first start of the season and the manager said: “I was talking with him about how he was feeling. In the first game he played around 18 minutes. Then in midfield he played 45 minutes.
My initial idea was for him to play a maximum 60 minutes, perhaps 65 or 70 minutes, but he was always telling me that he was feeling good. It was a great performance.”