Goalscoring hero Crysencio Summerville insists his second-half strike against Manchester United saw him deliver on a pre-match promise he had made to teammate Mohammed Kudus.
Summer arrival Summerville came off the bench at half-time to put the Hammers in front at London Stadium with little over 15 minutes remaining, finishing from close range after Danny Ings had steered a Jarrod Bowen cross into his path.
A first goal in Claret and Blue - against fierce rivals of his former club Leeds United - meant a great deal to the Netherlands U21 international, who immediately ripped his shirt off before running over to Kudus in the stands and continuing the celebrations.
After Casemiro equalised for the visitors, home captain Bowen slotted in a late penalty to make it 2-1 and secure all three points, and Summerville was delighted to have been able to make a key contribution on his tenth appearance for the Club.
“I told Mo that when I came on I was going to score, and that I was going to celebrate with him!” said Summerville, who was named as the official Man of the Match. “I like Mo a lot - I look up to him on and off the pitch, and the emotions all just came out.
“I’m very happy with the goal. You always have to be alert in the box, I was was switched on and I was happy to see the ball fall to my feet.
“I’ve had to be patient at times so far this season, but when I come on I just try to give energy to the team. I think that’s why West Ham wanted me in the summer, and I think I managed to bring some joy to the stadium today.”
A third Premier League win of the 2024/25 campaign has lifted the Irons up to 13th in the standings after nine games, above Manchester United and only five points off the top six.
Having claimed two home wins in succession, Summerville says he and his teammates now need to take those positives into their next outing away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, when he will be hoping to have a similar impact on proceedings.
Summerville - who turns 23 on Wednesday - added: “We all just need to stick together, and keep building. We’re in it all together, and although we haven’t always got the results we’ve wanted we’ve kept going.
“I think the group is fantastic, and we all want to play for each other. We’re all happy with this result, and we’ll do our best to get another good result next weekend.”
