West Ham United captain Mark Noble
scored twice for the second game running as his side
beat West Bromwich Albion 3-0 on Saturday to go fifth in
the Premier League.
After Cheikhou Kouyate had headed in a cross from
Dimitri Payet, who registered his 10th assist of the
season, Noble scored either side of half-time at the
Hawthorns, mirroring his brace in the 3-1 win over
Watford.
Victory took Slaven Bilic's side above Manchester United
on goal difference and saw West Ham make it 10 games
unbeaten in the top flight for the first time since 1985.
Tony Pulis's West Brom, now without a win in seven
games, remain 13th.
West Brom had shot a big hole in Tottenham Hotspur's
titles hopes by drawing 1-1 at White Hart Lane last
Monday and they started brightly, with Craig Gardner's
curler testing West Ham goalkeeper Adrian.
The hosts' two changes included a start for 17-year-old
Jonathan Leko, the first player born in 1999 to start a
Premier League game, and the winger set up a chance for
Gardner that the midfielder headed wide.
But West Ham belatedly stirred and after Aaron
Cresswell's low cross from the left narrowly eluded the
sliding Diafra Sakho, they went ahead in the 34th minute.
As West Brom looked to launch a break from a West Ham
corner, Winston Reid won a tackle in midfield that sent the
ball out to Payet on the right and his delicately weighted
cross was headed in by Senegal midfielder Kouyate.
Kouyate turned provider in first-half injury time as West
Ham doubled their lead, racing down the left and crossing
for Noble, whose heavy first touch did not prevent him
from poking home right-footed.
With Angelo Ogbonna preventing Salomon Rondon from
reaching Gardner's left-wing cross 11 minutes into the
second half, Pulis turned to his bench.
Striker Saido Berahino and midfielder Sandro both went
close after entering the fray - the former scuffing wide, the
latter shooting off-target from 25 yards - but the hosts
would come no closer.
Instead it was West Ham who had the last word, with
Payet driving into West Brom territory and slipping the ball
wide to Andy Carroll, whose lofted cross was emphatically
volleyed home by Noble.