West Ham United swept into the Carabao Cup fourth round with a comprehensive 5-1 win over Hull City at London Stadium.
Sebastien Haller and Andriy Yarmolenko scored two goals each and Robert Snodgrass netted against his old club as the Hammers outplayed their EFL League One opponents on Tuesday evening.
It was a successful end to a challenging evening which saw manager David Moyes and players Issa Diop and Josh Cullen test positive for COVID-19 and have to leave London Stadium before kick-off, with their places in the starting eleven taken by debutant Ajibola Alese and Jack Wilshere.
West Ham were dominant throughout, creating 19 goal attempts and taking five of them.
Felipe Anderson had the first two, shooting wide with the first and too high with the second, before teenager Harrison Ashby saw his left-foot shot parried by Hull goalkeeper George Long.
The deadlock was broken a minute after Hull captain Richard Smallwood was forced off with an injury, with ex-Hull midfielder Snodgrass the scorer.
Manuel Lanzini and Yarmolenko, who were influential throughout, combined to pick out the Scot, who drove a volley across Long and into the bottom right-hand corner on 18 minutes.
The goalmouth action then abated until Lanzini curled narrowly wide on 38, and Haller continued his fine Carabao Cup run with a close-range finish on the stroke of half-time, with the Argentina international and Yarmolenko again heavily involved in the build-up.
With Hull, who came into the game with four wins from four League One and Carabao Cup games this season, unable to impose themselves on proceedings, West Ham continued to create chances, with Haller’s volley deflected wide and Yarmolenko curling over.
It was 3-0 on 56 minutes. As Lanzini’s corner was delivered, Haller was bundled over, referee Simon Hooper pointed to the spot and Yarmolenko grabbed the ball before calmly sending Long the wrong way with his penalty.
Frustration began to set into the Tigers and substitute George Honeyman and Brandon Fleming were both booked for late challenges – the latter leaving Ashby nursing a dislocated finger and needing to be replaced by debutant Emmanuel Longelo.
Long saved from Lanzini and Yarmolenko fired high and wide as West Ham continued to threaten, but it was Hull who got the game’s fourth goal, Mallik Wilks getting the wrong side of Longelo before finishing through Darren Randolph’s legs.
Josh Magennis then forced the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper into a save with a downward header, and the goalkeeper was called into action again in the final minute of the 90, gathering Honeyman’s snap-shot.
But any chance of a Hull fightback was ended in added time, when the Hammers added two further goals.
First, Lanzini diverted Felipe Anderson’s lofted diagonal into the path of Haller, who rounded Long to score, then the No10’s quick free-kick set the Brazilian away, and his cutback was swept home first-time by Yarmolenko to make the final score 5-1.
West Ham United: Randolph, Ashby (Longelo 69), Balbuena, Alese, Johnson, Wilshere, Snodgrass, Yarmolenko, Lanzini, Felipe Anderson, Haller
Subs not used: Martin (GK), Trott (GK), Coventry, Bowen, Xande Silva
Goals: Snodgrass 18, Haller 45, 90+1, Yarmolenko 56, 90+2
Hull City: Long, Coyle, Jones, McLoughlin, Fleming, Batty, Smallwood (Honeyman 17), Scott (Wilks 61), Jones, Mayer (Lewis-Potter 61), Magennis
Subs not used: Ingram (GK), Burke, Emmanuel, Samuelsen
Goal: Wilks 70
Referee: Simon Hooper