West Ham United boosted their Premier League survival hopes with an impressive 3-1 victory over Sunderland at the London Stadium, recording back-to-back top-flight wins and a third straight success in all competitions. Nuno Espirito Santo's side were in dreamland by half-time after goals from Crysencio Summerville, Jarrod Bowen and Mateus Fernandes put them 3-0 up in the East End sunshine. Sunderland produced a far better display after the interval and Brian Brobbey's header reduced the deficit midway through the second half, but the damage from an uncharacteristically lacklustre first 45 minutes had already been done.
The result builds on last weekend's dramatic 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur and moves West Ham to within just two points of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest ahead of Forest's trip to high-flying Brentford. For Sunderland, who were without captain and influential midfielder Granit Xhaka because of an ankle injury, the defeat halts their momentum but they remain ninth after a contest that starkly contrasted their passive first half with a much-improved second.
West Ham in dreamland after ruthless first-half display
West Ham started with confidence and were rewarded after just 14 minutes when Summerville broke the deadlock. The winger, who had gone 28 games without a goal since October 2024 before this recent surge, powered home a close-range header after being picked out by Bowen's precise cross from the right, continuing his run of scoring in each of his last three appearances for the club.