Arnautovic helps Moyes mark 200th top-flight victory in style
There will have been few afternoons quite as comfortable as this for David Moyes, who reached a landmark 200th Premier League victory as a manger in emphatic fashion.
Sir Alex Ferguson was present in the directors’ box to witness Moyes – the man he anointed as his successor at Manchester United – reach a milestone, after 14 years in the top flight, that only he, Arsene Wenger and Harry Redknapp had accomplished.
During the week Moyes admitted that while he harbours ambitions of developing a more expansive style befitting West Ham’s traditions, it has been a case of securing points and not plaudits since his arrival in November.
Here, though, he managed both, principally owing to the inspiration provided by Marko Arnautovic, who transformed a regimented display into one brimming with brio and panache as the visitors cut loose, scoring four goals for the first time since May 2013.
It ensured that West Ham leapfrogged their opponents, climbing to 11th in the table, and represented a healthy return of 15 points from the past 24 available.
The Austrian contributed to Mark Noble’s 40th-minute opener by dispossessing Joe Lolley, and then scored moments after the restart to re-establish West Ham’s lead, after Lolley had redeemed his earlier error by superbly curling an equalising goal.
It took Arnautovic to six goals from his past seven outings and thereafter he spent the second period terrorising the home defence, and Christopher Schindler in particular, until Moyes showed mercy with seven minutes remaining by substituting him.
By then, Arnautovic had comprehensively taken the game away from the hosts, and killed off the contest with almost half an hour remaining.
Twice in the space of five minutes he evaded Schindler’s attentions, orchestrating the Hammers’ third and fourth goals, which were both expertly larruped beyond the Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl by Argentine midfielder Manuel Lanzini, who had dashed forward to support.
Moyes said of his landmark: “I’m thrilled that the players were able to get me that, and thanks to all the other players in the years gone by. I didn’t know.”
“Marko Arnautovic is a handful. I think probably him being freed-up going from the wing to playing through the middle has helped.”
David Wagner, the Huddersfield head coach, attributed three of West Ham’s goals to errors committed by his players.
“[It was] disappointing and frustrating,” Wagner said. “We were below-par with too many individuals. These are mistakes you cannot make in the Premier League if you want to get points.
“It’s obvious what went wrong. It’s easy to analyse. We can be totally honest with ourselves that we made mistakes. It’s not what you like, but sometimes happens. My players are humans and, to be totally honest, we’ve had these moments two or three times this season.”