It was the perfect opportunity for West Ham’s players to show Slaven Bilic had lost the dressing room. To chuck it in, paving the way for a new manager.
Defeat by Swansea would have had grave consequences for the Hammers boss. Instead, Bilic watched his team dig in, with substitute Diafra Sakho’s last-minute goal clinching victory. It was probably a job-saving victory.
As is often the case when a manager is on the brink, tales of Bilic losing the faith of his players are rife. On this evidence, the Croat need not worry too much.
West Ham were not great.