Here’s your match report from Jacob Steinberg at the London Stadium, which means this minute-by-minute blog will now conclude. It’s been a happy day for the Hammers, while the Black Cats’ away travails continue on their Premier League return.
As always, it’s been a pleasure to cover this one for you. Thanks very much for reading. Until next time!
Burnley and Wolves are in action in those 3pm games. With West Ham and the teams above them now picking up points on the regular, I’d suggest both the Clarets and the Wanderers require a minor miracle from here to stay in the Premier League.
Winning away at Manchester City would, in itself, be a miracle for Wolves.
Clockwatch: Attention now quickly turns to the 3pm kick-offs, where Rob Smyth is your man for live updates.
Summerville chats to TNT Sports afterwards and says West Ham “are in a good flow” as Fernandes adds that “the most important thing was when we scored the first, we scored again… a good job by everybody”.
“I was surprised with myself,” laughs Summerville on his opening goal. “This was my first header!”
On his own strike, Fernandes says: “I need to shoot more, as I always score in training. I was lucky a little bit.”
How the relegation battle now looks:
14th – Tottenham, 27 pts
15th – Bournemouth, 27 pts
16th – Leeds, 25 pts
17th – Nottm Forest, 22 pts
18th – West Ham, 20 pts
19th – Burnley – 14 pts
FT: West Ham 3-1 Sunderland
That’s it. West Ham have successive Premier League victories for just the second time this season and deservedly so, as those first half goals from Summerville, Bowen and Fernandes see off a sub-par Sunderland, who got a second half consolation via Brobbey.
The three points move the Hammers to within two points of safety, with Nottingham Forest above them and not in action until tomorrow afternoon.
Updated
90 mins + 4: A smart run from Bowen gets West Ham back up the pitch with the awarding of a home throw-in. This is almost done and dusted.
What on earth has happened here? West Ham think the ball has crossed the line after a ridiculous hit from Fernandes ricochets off the crossbar down onto the turf and ends in an almighty scramble in front of Robin Roefs.
As that Fernandes hit was screaming towards goal, Mavropanos and Alderete were nose-to-nose in some sort of row.
It ended with a Sunderland free-kick for a Soucek push after all that. Crazy scenes.
Updated
90 mins: Matheus Fernandes has been awarded player of the match by TNT Sports’ Ally McCoist. I think Bowen and Summerville run him close, but it’s fair enough.
As we tick into four added minutes, West Ham have the luxury of a corner.
Something untoward may have been said in that exchange, as play is stopped for a moment to deal with the problem.
“A dispute in the crowd” is the current wording from the officials.
87 mins: Granit Xhaka has got himself involved in some heated discussions with the West Ham fans behind him. He’s been hugely missed on the pitch for Sunderland today… but seemingly can’t stay out of the action.
Updated
Off the woodwork from O’Nien! He’s come on at right-back and sent an attempted cross towards Areola’s near post – he definitely did’t mean to try and score. Maybe the goalkeeper got a slight touch to prevent a goal – he then gratefully flops down on the loose ball.
85 mins: Great play from Wilson to take the ball on his chest and turn. The striker then looks to shoot and goes down under pressure in the box but there’s nothing doing in terms of a penalty.
83 mins: There is applause from Le Bris after a well-worked Sunderland sequence ends in a snatched volley at the back post from Isidor.
Luke O’Nien is on for Mukiele in the visitors’ final change of the game. Mukiele isn’t too happy about his withdrawal, to say the least, with words directed towards his manager.
82 mins: Fernandes sends in the free-kick from the left, which is headed straight up twice by Sunderland defenders, until Mavropanos scuffs a left-footed shot well wide.
Into the final 10 minutes plus added time. Sunderland need to score soon to stand any chance and set up a – cliche alert – grandstand finish.
Instead West Ham have a precious free-kick down the other end after the effervescent Summerville draws a yellow card-worthy challenge from Sadiki.
78 mins: West Ham no longer have an outlet on the counter like they did before. Maybe removing Castellanos wasn’t the greatest shout… Wilson is getting crowded out by the Sunderland centre-backs whenever it comes forward.
The home side aren’t quite home and hosed.
76 mins: Mukiele launches another long throw into the box, which looks for for Ballard but instead lands on a West Ham head. When it comes back into the Hammers’ box, it’s gobbled happily up by Areola.
There will be no clean sheet today for the West Ham No 1 but he’ll be still delighted with the current scoreline.
West Ham make a sub: Freddie Potts replaces Castellanos.
73 mins: There is far more spring about Sunderland now, but as Wilson wins a foul to relieve the pressure a tad, you wonder if it’s just come a little too late for the visitors.
Wilson Isidor is going to be their latest introduction from the bench.
70 mins: Here comes the first West Ham change of the afternoon as Callum Wilson enters the fray, with Malick Diouf also on after his successful Senegal sojourn at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Pablo and Scarles are taken off to plenty of applause.
Maybe me saying Sunderland look beaten was the proverbial rocket up the backside they needed.
With newfound energy and a surge of noise from the away corner, the visitors are on the attack once more.
GOAL! West Ham 3-1 Sunderland (Brobbey, 66)
And just like that, Sunderland do find a goal from somewhere! Out of nowhere really, as Brian Bobbey heads coolly into the net after a fine run and cross from Mukiele, who had charged down the right.
West Ham were caught completely cold then.
Updated
65 mins: This is all feeling rather low-key now. Sunderland don’t seem to believe they can get back into it. They look beaten.
64 mins: After more good play from Summerville, Castellanos tests Roefs from the edge of the box but the Sunderland keeper holds on without too much fuss.
62 mins: West Ham haven’t kept a clean sheet in the Premier League since August.
Mads Hermansen was in goal that day. So Areola is less than half an hour away from his first clean sheet of the season… in late January.
60 mins: A West Ham corner reaches Fernandes some 30 yards from goal and the Brazilian has another pop, this one far more speculative, off-balance and with his left foot and it’s not close to troubling Roefs.
58 mins: Diarra thumps a low drive off Tobido to earn Sunderland a corner.
Can they give themselves something to build on here?
No, the Frenchman heads it away.
56 mins: Bowen almost wriggles away from Le Fée’s clutches on a mazy run down the right, but just runs out of room. The West Ham captain continues to drive his side forward.
54 mins: Matheus Fernandes has been super-cool on the ball for West Ham and just now he’s played a delightful chip to Soucek, who is fouled to relieve some pressure on the Hammers’ midfield. Good from the former Southampton man.
52 mins: It’s reflective of West Ham’s recent form that their fans still don’t feel comfortable at 3-0 up.
I guess a Sunderland goal in the next 10 minutes could change the outlook, but it would need an almighty Hammers collapse to cede the three points from here …
Ian Sargent is back in my email inbox:
Need a fourth then we can relax and recall memories of a 6-0 Sunday thrashing of Sunderland in the early 90s. That was in Division 2 but on the telly and at a time there was ill-feeling towards the board – bond scheme-related if I recall.
49 mins: Sunderland are snapping into their challenges a little quicker early in this second half but a tackle from Brobbey on Fernandes is deemed over-zealous by the referee, Thomas Bramall.
Ally McCoist has just revealed on commentary for TNT Sports that he had an interview to be Sunderland boss some time after Steve Bruce’s exit in 2011. What a scoop!
46 mins: So that’s two changes down the left flank and one in midfield for Sunderland. Reinildo was walking a disciplinary tightrope after escaping a second yellow late in the first half, while Hume struggled in a central role. Let’s see if that has any impact for the Black Cats.
We’re back under way for the second half.
Le Bris has made a triple substitution: Habib Diarra, Dennis Cirkin and Chemsdine Talbi have replaced Hume, Reinildo and Mundle.
Sunderland’s five defeats in the Premier League this season:
Burnley 2-0 Sunderland (23 Aug)
Manchester United 2-0 Sunderland (4 Oct)
Fulham 1-0 Sunderland (22 Nov)
Manchester City 3-0 Sunderland (6 Dec)
Brentford 3-0 Sunderland (7 Jan)
When they lose it tends to be away from home and they tend to get nilled. Can they change that in the second half at West Ham?
“Sunderland cant be this poor for another 45 [minutes] can they?” asks West Ham fan Ian Sargeant on email.
To paraphrase Mick McCarthy… they can.
The goals: Summerville’s opener was well-worked by West Ham but all too easy from a Sunderland perspective, the second came from an avoidable Trai Hume challenge in the box and the third was an absolute pearler from Matheus Fernandes.
The Black Cats have created chances and looked especially threatening in the opening 10 to 15 minutes but they responded badly to the initial concession, ceding control in midfield.
Time to me to grab a cuppa while we digest that first half.
HT: West Ham 3-0 Sunderland.
What a half of football for West Ham United. Crysencio Summerville and Jarrod Bowen have been excellent and the home side have been utterly ruthless, punishing a sloppy Sunderland, who are missing their talisman Granit Xhaka.
The scoreline is a complete reverse of what we saw at the Stadium of Light on the opening day of the season. Who’d have thought it …
45 mins +2: Reinildo catches Bowen and West Ham are appealing for a second yellow card. But it looks like the full-back is going to escape punishment.
Surely Le Bris will have to change something at the break? He’s got Geertruida to add ballast to the base of midfield, or perhaps Simon Adingra or Wilson Isidor to spice up a forward line that hasn’t taken its chances.
45 mins: The camera keeps panning to Xhaka in the crowd. He has proven to be a huge miss.
We’ll have three first-half added minutes.
It all stemmed from a lovely switch of play to pick out Summerville, who laid it back from the left to Castellanos. After the striker’s shot was blocked, Fernandes picked it up and curled it into the top corner beyond Roefs, who got a slight hand to it.
Sunderland look shell-shocked.
GOAL! West Ham 3-0 Sunderland (Fernandes, 43)
What a beauty from Mateus Fernandes! Stick that in your scrapbook! A brilliant strike from 25 yards out.
Updated
42 mins: It’s now Sunderland who are making more fouls and it’s West Ham who are gleefully sending crosses into the box, pinning back their opponents.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s gameplan has worked to perfection. So far.
40 mins: Enzo Le Fée is another Sunderland player who has been quiet so far.
West Ham just seem to have a numerical advantage in the middle of the pitch, so they’re crowding out the mercurial Frenchman.
38 mins: Nordi Mukiele isn’t having the best game I’ve seen him have. He always looks more comfortable at centre-back in my view and he’s been given a tough time by Summerville so far.
Ironic cheers are greeting every misplaced Sunderland pass right now.
Updated
The free-kick came to nothing, but 3-0 to West Ham now looks likelier than 2-1, if we’re having a conversation about where the next goal will come from.
35 mins: Reinildo is next into the book for Sunderland after hauling down a rampaging Bowen on the left-hand edge of the Sunderland box.
A free-kick for West Ham coming here, in a dangerous spot.
Silly decision from yours truly to put Robin Roefs in my FPL team. And Granit Xhaka. *Facepalm*
Whoever has Bowen will be sitting pretty.
32 mins: Summerville is causing all sorts of problems with his dancing feet down the Hammers’ left; Sunderland are struggling to contain him.
After a corner won by the ex Leeds man, Roefs punches clear from under his own crossbar. The Black Cats are wobbling here.
To be fair, Sunderland have maintained a threat going forward today, but they’ve lacked control in the middle and discipline in defence. Poor marking for the first goal and poor decision-making from Hume to concede the penalty.
Régis Le Bris has a face like thunder in the visitors’ dugout.
30 mins: Did anyone have West Ham winning 2-0 after half an hour on their predictions card?
Ballard is booked as Sunderland’s frustrations continue.
There was only a very brief VAR check after that, which was only right. The only delay to the penalty being taken were the Sunderland players surrounding the spot trying to put Bowen off.
He never looked like missing, to be honest, a picture of composure.
Updated
GOAL! West Ham 2-0 Sunderland (Bowen, 28)
Bowen steps up from the spot. Can he make it 103 Premier League goal involvements for West Ham?
Yes he can! Slotted into the bottom right corner, no problem.
Updated
PENALTY TO WEST HAM! Hume fouls Scarles and there’s almost no argument from the Sunderland man, and barely any hesitation from Thomas Bramall.
Yep, he definitely caught him, knee to knee. Clear penalty.
Updated
26 mins: A big issue for West Ham so far is how many fouls they are committing. It’s playing straight into Sunderland’s hands, allowing them to pile crosses into the box to test Alphonse Areola.
Jarrod Bowen moved onto 102 goal involvements in the Premier League with that assist for Summerville, by the way, the most for a West Ham player.
24 mins: Summerville races down the hosts’ left and there’s a big test of Ballard’s hamstring as he’s forced to sprint across and cover, getting enough of the ball to stop the flying West Ham winger.
Dan Ballard might have done himself a mischief during that challenge – he’s holding his hamstring. Let’s keep an eye on him.
22 mins: West Ham have no desire to press high, on the other hand, instead sitting in a mid-block waiting to pounce when the ball is played into midfield.
Another long Sunderland cross finds Ballard’s head and the defender manages to hold off a grappling Soucek and head goalwards. Just wide.
19 mins: Sunderland have shown great intent since going 1-0 down… they’ve shown it from the first whistle, in fairness. They pose a major threat down the flanks and via crosses, long throws etc. Can West Ham hold firm?
And now Pablo misses a big chance for West Ham! The angle was tightening and he had Robin Roefs closing in on him, and eventually skied it.
It’s all suddenly become very open after a cagey first 10 minutes.
16 mins: Goodness me, there was almost an immediate chance to equalise for Sunderland’s Trai Hume, after a long throw was flicked in his direction, but he couldn’t keep his looping header under the crossbar.
Bowen eventually got it on the right and jinked his way to the byline, digging out a delicious cross that was ideal for Summerville to rise highest and nod home. Almost too easy. That’s the moment West Ham were craving!
GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Sunderland (Summerville, 14)
In fact, Wan-Bissaka is seeing plenty of the ball now and dovetailing quite nicely with Jarrod Bowen on the Hammers’ right flank. A switch of play finds Summerville in space and suddenly the hosts have a bit more pep in their step.
And just like that, they’ve scored! Summerville’s header!
Updated
11 mins: Romaine Mundle v Aaron Wan-Bisska is shaping up to be a fascinating one-versus-one tussle this afternoon, down the Sunderland left/West Ham right.
10 mins: Most of the early noise inside the London Stadium is being made by those of a Sunderland persuasion.
These early kick-offs can feel quite low-key sometimes, and West Ham are going to need more energy from their fans. They’ve pressed a little more in the past few minutes without creating a chance of note.
7 mins: Now the home fans want a free-kick as Summerville runs into trouble but the ref is seemingly keen to keep the play moving… although West Ham do eventually get a free-kick as Castellanos is impeded.
5 mins: Referee Thomas Bramall blows up for a slight foul by Castellanos in the centre-circle just as West Ham were looking to break.
It prompts the first London Stadium groan of the afternoon. I’d suggest it might not be the last.
3 mins: West Ham are under the cosh already, with Sunderland willing to press high and send crosses into the area without delay.
2 mins: No Granit Xhaka in Sunderland’s midfield could make this interesting. It does look like a straight 4-4-2, with Sadiki testing Areola early on with a sweet left-footed volley after a long throw was headed into no man’s land.
KICK OFF
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeppp!!
Broadcasters TNT Sports have Sunderland’s formation down as a 4-2-3-1 with Hume in midfield and Mayenda out wide on the right. Guess we’ll find out soon …
There’s a lot of West Ham fans still queuing outside the stadium, and will seemingly be late for kick-off. Traffic in the area, or just a disconnect between Hammers supporters and their team?
Anyway, the players are coming out of the tunnel, bubbles aplenty, and we’re almost ready to go.
Also kicking off at 12.30pm this Saturday lunchtime is a crunch clash in the WSL. Here’s your minute-by-minute coverage of that one with Emillia Hawkins.
Sunderland duo Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco) and Habib Diarra (Senegal) competed in the helter-skelter Afcon final so return to the bench today. Noah Sadiki of DR Congo keeps his spot in the midfield, with it looking like a 4-4-2 from Régis Le Bris with Brian Bobbey and Eliezer Mayenda playing as a strike partnership.
So Callum Wilson is on the West Ham bench after it was revealed he was likely to stay at the club this month, amid rumours of an exit.
There is no Lucas Paquetá, who looks bound for Brazilian club Flamengo.
It was reported earlier today that the Hammers have reached verbal agreement to sign Adama Traoré from Fulham, so there is a boost to their squad on the way.
Given this weekend’s fixtures are a mirror image of the opening day of the season, there is plenty of harking back to be done – and Sunderland’s 3-0 destruction of Graham Potter’s West Ham in August has proven fairly instructive of the campaign to come. The Hammers have remained just as listless despite a change of manager while Régis Le Bris’s team, incredibly, can go fifth by doing the double over West Ham today. That position may be only temporary given the number of European contenders playing later today and tomorrow, but the fact Sunderland are still flying high after 22 games shows they have been far from a flash in the pan.
Updated
Team news
West Ham (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Todibo, Scarles; Soucek, Fernandes; Bowen, Pablo Felipe, Summerville; Castellanos.
Substitutes: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Ward-Prowse, Wilson, Diouf, Magassa, Potts, Kante.
Sunderland (4-4-2): Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo; Hume, Sadiki, Le Fée, Mundle; Mayenda, Brobbey.
Substitutes: Patterson, Cirkin, Geertruida, Talbi, Rigg, O’Nien, Isidor, Diarra, Adingra.
Referee: Thomas Bramall (Sheffield)
Updated
Preamble
West Ham are sitting in a spot in the table where everyone expected Sunderland to be, and Sunderland are where West Ham – in Deloitte Football Money League terms – ought to be. But this is football, and one of the great fascinations of this season has been to see the Black Cats confound opponents after their promotion while watching the Hammers’ expensively-assembled squad struggle.
There is a glimmer of hope for Nuno Espírito Santo and his troops. Last week it came in the form of Dr Tottenham, as a 2-1 away win at Spurs gave West Ham their first victory in more than two months. The back-to-back wins in early November both came at the London Stadium so Nuno must generate some momentum with a victory today. The gap to 18th-placed Nottingham Forest would close to just two points if so, with Sean Dyche’s side not playing until tomorrow.
Sunderland will have their full complement of Africa Cup of Nations players back – they were affected by the tournament more than any Premier League team – but they managed fairly well without them, losing just once since 6 December.
The action gets under way in east London at 12.30pm (GMT) so stick with us for team news and match updates.
