Adrian: Could do nothing about Sterling’s goal and was as solid as we have come to expect despite almost losing it with Balotelli at one point! 6
Demel: Thoroughly competent and coped well with everything that came his way. 6
Reid: His best performance of the season and a fine headed goal. Good to see him back to his best 7
Tomkins: Excellent performance. Rarely troubled at the back and a great far post header into Reid for the first goal 7
Cresswell: Rarely put a foot wrong and always exciting getting forward, playing a couple of great balls in which on another day would have reaped rich rewards 7
Noble: Typical Mark. Always at the heart of the action and breaking up play. 7
Kouyate: Non stop running and endeavour. What a signing this boy is. Refused to go off near the end when clearly carrying a groin injury. As brave as they come 7
Song: Top performance from a man on a mission to prove many points. His shielding of the back four spread a new confidence through the defence and always trying to create going forward 8
Downing: His sensational free kick laid on the first goal and over the first 20 minutes he was as good as most will ever have seen him. A growing presence in a great Hammers team 8
Sakho: Absolutely love the kid and at £2.5 million he could turn out to be the buy of the season. Magnificent chipped goal after giving Mingolet the eyes and top all round performance 8
Valencia: Can’t fault this guy who is already on the path reserved for West Ham legends. He scares teams, he’s a constant threat and is everything we have needed for many a long year 9
Manager Allardyce: Set the team up perfectly and is producing a style of play of which many of us believed him incapable. He deserves every plaudit for master-minding a marvelous victory. Long may it continue 9
I thought Adrian gave an eccentric performance – there were a couple of dodgy punches when it looked easier to catch – one when he went down and it ricocheted of his chest.
What he was doing with Balotelli was beyond me – and his foot up (but no contact!) with Borini was totally unnecessary!
Not a reassuring performance, all in all not good enough!
…oh and I thought you were a bit generous with BFS – he’s had a couple of good performances but I’m not convinced that it’s totally down to him.
Valencia, Sakho, Song, Cresswell and Kouyate all look like great additions (and Zarate and Amaltifano as well!) but I have a feeling that this is more down to David Sullivan (and his advisors) than to BFS!
Quiote happy to be generous but it needs to continue in precisely the same vein