Pablo Zabaleta could not contain his delight at helping West Ham United secure a 3-1 victory over Manchester United on Saturday.
Goals from Felipe Anderson - who was assisted by Zabaleta - and Marko Arnautovic, as well as a Victor Lindelof own-goal, saw the Irons make it seven points from a possible nine with a memorable win at London Stadium over the Red Devils.
A former Manchester City defender, Zabaleta has been involved in some huge contests against Manchester United over the years, and the Argentinian was thrilled to be on the right end of the result against Jose Mourinho’s side.
“It’s a great moment when you beat Manchester United,” the Argentinian said. “The West Ham United fans have been waiting for a first win at London Stadium, with a great performance. I’m a West Ham player so I’m happy for West Ham fans.”
The West Ham United fans have been waiting for a first win at London Stadium, with a great performance. It's a great moment when you beat Manchester United.
Pablo Zabaleta
The 33-year-old was also happy with how the Hammers performed against this weekend’s opponents, with Manuel Pellegrini’s side performing with flair and intensity throughout the contest.
He continued: “We needed the first win at home. We were so unlucky not to win against Chelsea. We knew today was a great chance for us to get that first win.
“Obviously, how the team is playing at the moment from the beginning of the season is completely different. We’re playing with so much intensity and defensively we look very solid and very dangerous going forward. It was a huge win for us today.”
Saturday’s result means West Ham are now unbeaten in their last four games, and Zabaleta has pinpointed the moment that saw the Irons discover their true form.
“I think that win against Everton was a key moment for the team,” the defender said: “It brought confidence and in this league, you have to play every game at 100 per cent.
“Sometimes when you’re winning or on top, you just need to keep the ball. We did that today and it was a good performance. That is the way we want the team to play in every single game.”
There was only one change to the Irons team that secured a draw at home to Chelsea last week, with goalscorer Arnautovic coming in for Michail Antonio, and Zabaleta believes the current 4-3-3 set-up being deployed by the Irons is giving the team balance and a base to work from.
Zabaleta added: “That 4-3-3 formation seems like it’s working for us at the moment. I think the midfield, with Declan Rice, Mark Noble and Pedro Obiang, gives balance to the team.
“Then, going forward, we have Yarmolenko on the right, Felipe Anderson on the left and Marko Arnautovic up top. They are very dangerous going forward. They’ve got pace and can hurt defences, and us at full-back will try at times to help with attacking.
“When we haven’t got the ball, it seems like everyone is in the right position. We looked solid against Manchester United, and that is what you need.”