West Ham United got back to winning ways at the weekend with a 3-1 victory over Fulham.
The Hammers had not won in five going into the London derby.
And that run looked like it would stretch to six when Fulham capitalised on West Ham’s sloppy start to the game.
But goals from Javier Hernandez, Issa Diop and Michail Antonio completed the turnaround.
Handy timing
There was an element of controversy to the victory, though.
West Ham’s equaliser from Chicharito appeared to go in off the Mexican striker’s hand.
Undoubtedly under VAR next season the goal would have been ruled out.
It comes in the weeks after West Brom striker Dwight Gayle was controversially banned for two games for ‘successful deception of a match official’ after earning his side a penalty against Nottingham Forest.
And former West Ham striker Dean Ashton has suggested the same punishment could be dished out to Hernandez.
Ashton suggests retrospective action
“So should Hernandez get retrospective action for ‘successful deception of an official’?” Ashton posted on Twitter.
“Thoughts?
“Gayle did.”
But the Hammers have suffered their fair share of bad decisions this season as recently as the draws against Liverpool and Crystal Palace.
Against Palace influential midfielder Luka Milivojevic was already on a booking when he cynically brought down West Ham captain Mark Noble as he set his side off on a counter attack.
Everyone in the ground expected Milivojevic to see red.
Hammers have had their fair share of bad luck
But the referee failed to issue a second booking at the next break in play and the Eagles went on to equalise.
Against Liverpool, Manuel Pellegrini’s side suffered one of the worst offside decisions of the season.
James Milner was five yards off when he was played in right in front of the linesman.
But no flag was raised and Sadio Mane scored.
Indeed Liverpool almost got an undeserved win when the linesman kept his flag down in the dying seconds allowing Divock Origi a one-on-one which he did not convert.
Replays showed Origi was also clearly offside.
So Pellegrini and West Ham fans will take a slice of luck even if it is at the expense of a club fighting for their Premier League lives.
West Ham also added clear daylight between themselves and Fulham with the 3-1 win. So it could be argued they would have won the match regardless.
The Hammers will undoubtedly need more luck on Wednesday when they travel to title hopefuls Manchester City.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
