Pundit Darren Bent has slammed Manuel Pellegrini and West Ham for not paying Newcastle United "enough respect" in their recent Premier League clash.
The previously goal-shy Magpies - who had only scored six goals in their opening 10 matches - ran riot at the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Headers from Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez quickly established a two-goal cushion, and Steve Bruce's side should have settled the contest before the break with chances for Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron.
Jonjo Shelvey's free-kick minutes after the restart ultimately proved to be the winner, with Fabian Balbuena and Robert Snodgrass setting up a nervy finish for the travelling Geordie faithful.
Speaking to presenter Adrian Durham on talkSPORT, former Sunderland striker Bent described the Magpies as "cutting through at will" in a dominant first-half display.
Judging by his team selection, the pundit accused Pellegrini of not respecting the counter-attacking threat United would pose.
Bent said: "That first half, Maximin had a couple of one versus ones - not half chances, clear-cut chances. Almiron had chances.
"At one stage, a lot of people were kind of bigging up West Ham's defence. They've got it going forward, they've got some great attacking players. Diop is playing really well.
"But I look at Pellegrini for that game and team selection as well, maybe not doing his research and not really paying Newcastle enough respect because that first half was embarrassing.
"If you're a West Ham fan and you turned up and watched that, you'd be fuming.
"That first half was really lacklustre, and Newcastle were cutting through at will."
