1. Five different scorers
As Katrina Gorry said in her post-match interview, West Ham United women’s team scored ‘five great goals, five good team goals’ and the side shared them around, with five players finding the back of the net against Crystal Palace.
Viviane Asseyi was first to strike, latching onto Seraina Piubel’s inch-perfect cross at the back post to score her fourth goal in as many games, before Switzerland international Piubel fired home her first Barclays Women’s Super League goal at the near post.
Then, striker Riko Ueki hooked the ball forward to Asseyi, who rounded Shae Yañez, and Manuela Paví was on hand to pick up the pieces to put the Hammers ahead - and that was all just in the first half!
A breathtaking first 45 was followed by a quieter second period, but the Hammers struck twice in the final ten minutes to secure the three points.
The Irons’ fourth of the afternoon was the pick of the bunch - step forward Anouk Denton. The full-back, who played on the right side of the back four against Palace, picked the ball up in the centre circle and drove to the edge of the penalty area before unleashing an unstoppable effort with her weaker left foot.
And after Kirsty Smith flashed the ball across the face of goal in second-half stoppage time, Gorry was on hand to hammer home. That was her third goal in her last two games, taking her to the summit of the Hammers’ individual scoring charts in the WSL!
2. ‘Outstanding’ attacking quartet show their connection
For the fourth successive league match, Rehanne Skinner lined up with Asseyi, Piubel and Paví playing in behind Ueki against Crystal Palace yesterday.
The attacking quartet linked up brilliantly and the hard work being put in on the training ground at Chadwell Heath is coming to fruition.
For West Ham’s first of the afternoon, Paví found Ueki with an incisive pass and the Japan international played a perfectly-weighted, first-time ball into Piubel’s path, who clipped the ball to the back post where Asseyi found the net.
The front four worked tirelessly throughout the contest and maintained the same attacking threat when Paví made way for Emma Harries in the second half, who played a number of intelligent balls into the forward line.
The attacking quality helped the Hammers to their biggest win in the WSL since 2021, and this was the first time the Club has scored five goals in a top-flight home game.
Speaking post match, Skinner, who labelled her side’s attacking play as ‘outstanding‘, said: “The forward line, in particular, are starting to read and understand each other from the work we’ve been doing on the training pitch.
“These players work hard every single day of the week and nobody’s ever satisfied about losing a game, nobody.”
3. Back-to-back wins in Dagenham
While it was nearly a month between the two matches, Sunday’s victory over Palace chalked up back-to-back victories at home for West Ham.
The Hammers have only lost once at home all season in all competitions and Chigwell Construction Stadium is turning into a fortress.
Part of the reason why teams are struggling in Dagenham is because of the support of the West Ham fans, who once again played their part in urging their team to get back into the contest and helping the players dig deep in difficult conditions.
Your support does not go unnoticed.
“The fans have been tremendous,” Skinner said after the game. “There was loads of chanting at key moments in the game and it gives the players a massive lift. I’m just so glad that we can do that at home, and this is a difficult place to come to because of our fans, and I massively value that, and so do the players.”
Skipper Gorry echoed her manager’s views and said: “To be back out there with the fans in the stands, there’s nothing better. I think we’re making it really tough for teams to come here, we fought like crazy.”
4. Climbing to eighth
The 5-2 beating of Palace moved the Hammers up to eighth in the WSL standings ahead of the final league match of the year, away at Aston Villa on Sunday.
And Skinner is only looking up, aiming to ‘chase the teams above’ in the WSL table.
The victory also means it’s three wins in West Ham’s last four matches in all competitions, and it was the perfect way to sign off the league campaign at Chigwell Construction Stadium for 2024.
5. Momentum to take into a busy week ahead
With a buzz around Chadwell Heath after Sunday’s enthralling encounter, Skinner and her team would likely play again today if they could.
But they will have the chance to go again in Dagenham against Southampton on Wednesday night, when they target qualification for the quarter-finals of the Women's League Cup.
And there will be no time to rest on their laurels after that either, with a trip to Villa Park on the horizon on Sunday.
The momentum picked up from the weekend is priceless, and will stand the Hammers in good stead as they continue their busy final push before the Christmas break.
