West Ham United have made a habit of scoring goals, goals and more goals on Boxing Day.
While the Irons do not have the privilege of enjoying a traditional Boxing Day fixture this season, there are four previous matches from yesteryear on 26 December in which the Hammers netted four or more goals.
Join us in looking back on a quadruple of Christmas crackers from Hammers history…
West Ham United 5-0 Charlton Athletic | 26 December 2000
Harry Redknapp’s Hammers earned their biggest win of the 2000/01 season on Boxing Day 2000 with a seasonal stuffing of Charlton Athletic.
An early kick-off at the Boleyn Ground saw the Irons take a deserved lead when Paolo Di Canio’s cheeky backheeled effort clipped off Richard Rufus and found the net. Six minutes later, that advantage was doubled as Frédéric Kanouté swept home following more good work from West Ham’s Italian No10.
Di Canio was also involved in West Ham’s third just before half-time, setting up Frank Lampard from close-range.
Trevor Sinclair scored the pick of the bunch after half-time with a searing 30-yard volleyed finish, before Kanouté wrapped up a comprehensive win with a cool finish late on.
West Ham United 4-0 Derby County | 26 December 2001
A year on from the fabulous 5-0 win against the Addicks, and the Irons were back on home soil for another festive outing. Derby County were the visitors this time and, once again, West Ham ran out on top.
The Rams were statistically the Premier League’s worst travellers in the 2001/02 campaign when they made the trip to the Boleyn Ground, and any hope of improving that run seemed to go out of the window just four minutes in as Sebastien Schemmel scored his first for the Hammers, tucking away Don Hutchison's deflected free-kick.
Derby, in truth, had done well to get to the interval just a goal down, and their task in east London was made even harder when Benito Carbone was dismissed on 53 minutes.
Di Canio got West Ham’s second on 74 minutes, drilling a superb finish into the top corner, but goal of the game again went to Sinclair for his swivelling scissor-kick from Joe Cole’s cross four minutes from time.
Jermain Defoe secured the comprehensive win from the bench, racing through to meet Michael Carrick’s pass and prodding home.
Portsmouth 1-4 West Ham United | 26 December 2008
Gianfranco Zola’s West Ham had only won once in 12 Premier League matches as they travelled to Fratton Park to face Portsmouth on Boxing Day 2008.
The Irons had never beaten Pompey in the Premier League either and an eighth-minute opener from Nadir Belhadj seemed to suggest a continuation of that unwanted record.
Academy of Football graduate Jack Collison levelled on 20 minutes after a cleverly-worked free-kick by Mark Noble, but Portsmouth could have restored their lead before half-time. Former Hammer Jermain Defoe stepped up for a penalty kick, only to drag his effort wide from 12 yards.
The second half became the Craig Bellamy show for the Hammers. The Welshman’s pace and power was pivotal to the away side’s prolific finishing.
First, Bellamy broke to set up West Ham’s second – tapped in by Carlton Cole – before the attacker scored himself, lashing home at the second attempt just 20 seconds after Portsmouth had hit the post.
Bellamy secured a resounding win on 83 minutes with a calm finish, tucking home from Luis Boa Morte’s pull-back.
Swansea City 1-4 West Ham United | 26 December 2016
A trip to the south coast of Wales from east London is far from the easiest journey, much less over the festive period, but West Ham United made the visit worth it for the travelling Claret and Blue Army in 2016.
Slaven Bilić ‘s side cruised to victory at the Liberty Stadium, taking an early lead when former Swansea attacker André Ayew pounced on an error in the City defensive line.
Winston Reid doubled the Hammers’ advantage just after half-time, heading home from a Dimitri Payet corner.
Michail Antonio added a third for the Hammers and, while Fernando Llorente scored late on for Swansea, West Ham's three-goal advantage was reaffirmed when Andy Carroll powered in a fine finish, securing the dominant victory.
