Masuaku’s spit shame as Hammers exit

WEST HAM went out of the FA Cup in disgrace as Arthur Masuaku was sent off for spitting in this humbling fourthround defeat.

Will Grigg scored twice for the brilliant League One leaders to claim their second topflight scalp in consecutive rounds in a display that made a nonsense of the 34-place gap between these sides.

But West Ham’s performance was woeful — and even worse was the behaviour of their French full-back.

Masuaku was dismissed for spitting at Nick Powell as the visitors unravelled.

David Moyes labelled his own player ‘despicable’. A sixmatch ban will follow and West Ham will take internal action too.

Masuaku owned up to his vile act to his manager post-match but did not immediately apologise for his role in West Ham’s exit.

‘It’s despicable,’ said Moyes. ‘He deserved it and he’ll deserve everything he gets. He’ll get something off us as well. It’s completely unacceptable.

‘We’ve tried to give him a chance, we like him. He’s a really good boy around the club so it’s out of character but it doesn’t matter what character you are — if you do that in any walk of life you’re going to get the punishment.’

West Ham’s afternoon was somehow made even worse with Pedro Obiang taken off on a stretcher. The club fear he has damaged his medial ligaments and the Spanish midfielder joins a 12-strong list of injured senior players.

For Wigan, this was another day of delight: Bournemouth and now West Ham have been beaten by them in the Cup and there is no fear in Paul Cook’s side.

Bookies even made Wigan favourites and they played like a team with no intention of acting as underdogs.

‘I don’t really enjoy seeing people sit off the ball and park the bus,’ said Cook. ‘We didn’t.’

West Ham were quick to crack. Seven minutes were on the clock when Nathan Byrne, forward from right-back, was given time and space to aim a cross from deep in Grigg’s direction.

The ball was fantastic — inch-perfect, arching over defenders’ heads to the waiting No9 at the back post, where Grigg’s header flashed past a flapping Joe Hart into the corner.

‘There was only going to be one winner after the first goal went in,’ said Grigg.

Wigan’s clincher came from his penalty 17 minutes into the second half after Reece Burke was penalised for handball. ‘Harsh,’ said Moyes. But the result certainly was not.