West Ham’s away support used their new-found belief to make one, possibly final, plea to convince Declan Rice to remain in east London.
Around 1,300 packed the away end at Vitality Stadium and dominated the atmosphere, just as their team controlled the 90 minutes over their relegation rivals.
They had battled rail cancellations to make Sunday’s 2pm kick-off and were rewarded with their side’s biggest win of the season.
Resurgent striker Michail Antonio opened the scoring with a header from a corner and, just minutes later, Lucas Paqueta would nod in a similar effort after good play out wide between Jarrod Bowen and Vladimir Coufal.
The Hammers sang the name of David Moyes — the Harry Houdini-like manager who has survived repeated calls for his head and outlasted a record 12 other Premier League managers sacked elsewhere this season.
Their attention then turned to Rice, after his powerful drive sealed the points just before half-time, the midfielder having latched onto a loose ball after one of Aaron Cresswell’s dangerous set-piece deliveries. The 24-year-old club captain became the focus for the next 50 minutes, with Hammers fans asking for ‘one more year’.
Moyes, who has answered more questions about Rice than any other player since being reappointed boss, was reluctant to overly praise his star midfielder, despite the adulation.
“He’s a top player,” he said. “I thought in the first half he was a wee bit below, and I know he got his goal, but I thought he was a bit below it in the first half-hour with his passing.
“Overall, he is a really good player, and you can see it. He has different attributes: if you want him to join in or if you want him to sit and hold or take the ball. He can do all the bits and pieces and he can finish when asked to do so, as we’re beginning to see a bit more.
“I can’t say too much, because I talk so glowingly about him and I want to make sure the other players in the team realise they are as important, if not more important. They have to keep stepping up, we all have to keep stepping up to make sure we keep going.”
Rice has just one year left on his contract, but the club has the option to extend it for another year. He has repeatedly turned down new contracts, admitting while on England duty that he wants to move to one of England’s biggest clubs.
Arsenal are thought to be frontrunners for his signature, but Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City have all shown an interest in the past. The final option would be that he renews his contract, but it feels unlikely.
West Ham securing their Premier League status would give them a better chance, as would winning the Europa Conference League. Rice helping to secure a first European trophy in 24 years would cement his legacy but would also see his side qualify for next season’s Europa League, after a year of battling against relegation.
A smashing strike from our skipper 👏 pic.twitter.com/lDNNZkknhH
— West Ham United (@WestHam) April 23, 2023
Yesterday, the ultimate expression of West Ham’s new-found confidence was Pablo Fornals’s late scorpion kick.
The acrobatic goal-of-the-season contender was a perfect way to celebrate back-to-back away wins for the first time since January 2022. Relegation feels unlikely after rising two places to 13th in the Premier League and six points above the drop-zone, with a game in hand over each of the seven teams now below them.
To celebrate, the players threw their shirts into the crowd. A little girl was lucky enough to get handed Rice’s jersey, as the players dared to dream about glory in their late-season resurgence.
After just one defeat in 10 matches, the feel-good factor is returning at West Ham — and their fans are again appealing to Rice’s heart to stop him from departing to one of England’s biggest and richest clubs.
