HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1, WEST HAM 4
Marko Arnautovic was the West Ham hero as Huddersfield Town wilted in the second half after matching the Hammers during a first half filled with endeavour if not shots on target.
The Austrian first won the ball that Mark Noble opened the scoring with, before scoring seconds into the second half and laying on both of Manuel Lanzini’s goals shortly afterwards.
Joe Lolley was responsible for West Ham’s opening goal but atoned for the error with a great equaliser before the visitors overwhelmed them in the second half to secure West Ham manager David Moyes his 200th win in the Premier League.
Defeat at the hands of West Ham left Town closer to the drop zone in 13th place on 24 points – just 4 points from Stoke in 18th, with their opponents leapfrogging them into 11th on 25 points.
Huddersfield Town’s new signings – Terence Kongolo and Alex Pritchard – were on the bench as the Terriers made three changes from their game against Leicester City.
Scott Malone, Jonathan Hogg, and Laurent Depoitre returned to the starting line-up while Chris Lowe, Danny Williams, and Steve Mounie made way.
Ex-Manchester United forward Javier Hernandez remained on a bench containing only six players as West Ham tackled the Terriers with a side containing no recognised strikers – instead using Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini as fast moving forwards in a game attended by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Town had dominated early possession but neither side had troubled the keeper until Jonas Lossl’s seemingly harmless pass out of his area to Joe Lolley in the 25th minute.
The Terriers midfielder was caught unaware by Mark Noble who stole the loose ball off him from after he had been hassled by Arnautovic and thrashed the ball past Lossl at the near post to put the Hammers into the lead.
Lolley was able to make up for his mistake in the 40th minute when he drilled home the equaliser from an acute angle from the right after taking a pass from Aaron Mooy for his first Premier League goal.
There was precious little time for the Terriers to enjoy parity. The Hammers retook the lead seconds into the second half after a long punt upfield was flicked on by Cheikhou Kouyate to Arnautovic.
The Austrian then flicked the ball up and around Tommy Smith and lashed the ball past Lossl before many fans had taken to their seats – his sixth goal for West Ham since he ended his goal drought in December.
Aaron Mooy saved a certain goal from Angelo Ogbonna’s header in the 52nd minute, clearing twice off the line.
Manuel Lanzini tested Lossl with a shot soon after before beating the offside trap to reach a pass from Arnautovic which he hit past Town’s young keeper to put West Ham 3-1 to the good after 56 minutes.
Mooy’s deflected shot landed on the roof of the net as Town tried to react.
But it was all over after 61 minutes when Lanzini then hit a rising shot into the roof of the net from 12 yards out after latching onto the loose ball which got away from Arnautovic as Chris Schindler came across to block him. It was only the midfielder’s third goal of the season for the Hammers.
Kongolo and Pritchard were given second half debuts by David Wagner, who withdrew Smith and Lolley.
And Pritchard could have pulled a goal back for Town when his free kick deflected off Jonathan Hogg and was tipped around the post by Adrian after 74 minutes.
Arnautovic and Lanzini were given deserved rests late in the game, with Andre Ayew and Declan Rice given run outs as West Ham comfortably held off the demoralised Terriers who had looked sluggish all afternoon.
MATCH STATS
Huddersfield Town: Lossl, Smith (Kongolo 71), Zanka, Schindler, Malone, Hogg, Mooy, Lolley (Pritchard 63), Ince, Van La Parra, Depoitre
Huddersfield Town Subs: Coleman, Kongolo, Sabiri, Williams, Pritchard, Mounie, Hefele
Booking: Smith 31
Goal: Lolley 40
West Ham: Adrian, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Zabaleta, Kouyate, Obiang, Noble, Masuaku, Lanzini (Rice 85), Arnautovic (Ayew 82)
West Ham Subs: Hart, Hernandez, Ayew, Hart, Burke, Cullen
Booking: Cresswell 76
Goals: Noble 25, Arnautovic 46, Lanzini 56 and 61
Attendance: 24,105