West Ham United made it a hat-trick of Premier League wins as they reached the midway point of this surreal season with victory over the beleaguered Baggies at London Stadium.

With West Ham United heading into seventh-spot clutching a glowing half-term report, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio each hit the five-goal mark for the campaign, while former manager Sam Allardyce was left in 19th place, five points shy of safety.

Bowen nudged the Hammers ahead in first-half stoppage time and, although Matheus Pereira levelled just after the break, Antonio’s 65th-minute strike proved to be the match-winner as David Moyes men extended their unbeaten run to six matches in all competitions.

The Hammers came into this match ten places and 18 points Allardyce’s Albion, having also secured an enviable quartet of clean sheets and, following Saturday’s victory over Burnley, the West Ham boss made just one change as Manuel Lanzini replaced substitute Pablo Fornals.

Craig Dawson had been instrumental in those four straight shut-outs after making his debut at Southampton on 29 December and, ironically, the former Albion defender was presented with the first chance of the evening but he headed Aaron Cresswell’s deep corner behind at the far post on eight minutes.

Facing the club he brought back up into the top-flight during his four seasons in the Hammers hot-seat, Allardyce would have relished those four recent clean-sheets achieved by Moyes boys.

Romford Recorder: West Ham United's Tomas Soucek and West Bromwich Albion's Callum Robinson (left) battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the London Stadium. Picture date: Tuesday January 19, 2021.West Ham United's Tomas Soucek and West Bromwich Albion's Callum Robinson (left) battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the London Stadium. Picture date: Tuesday January 19, 2021. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

At least the Baggies’ boss had returned to the capital in the knowledge that his new side - unbeaten on their last three Premier League away-days - were also buoyed by their rare victory in Saturday’s Black Country derby at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

With both clubs striking a gentlemen’s agreement, recent acquisition Robert Snodgrass was unavailable following his recent move from West Ham and that had meant a start for Conor Gallagher, while first-choice ‘keeper Sam Johnstone returned in place of David Button.

Looking to absorb home pressure and strike on the break, Albion saw Pereira fire high over and, midway through the half, when a long-throw came into the Hammers box, it was Angelo Ogbonna, who almost gave the visitors a helping head but the stretching Łukasz Fabiański managed to gather the ball after it had looped dangerously off his team-mate’s scalp.

In reply, Vladimír Coufal forced a corner with a low 18-yarder, while Lanzini failed to connect cleanly from similar range, allowing Johnstone to claim and the Argentinian then deposited a 20-yard free-kick onto the roof of the Albion net.

Saïd Benrahma also sent a 25-yarder steaming through the chilly Stratford night into the well-placed ‘keeper’s clutches leaving an inert, uneventful opening 45 minutes looking destined to end goalless.

But during the final moments of an additional 60 seconds of stoppage-time the Hammers struck.

Romford Recorder: West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at the London Stadium. Picture date: Tuesday January 19, 2021.West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at the London Stadium. Picture date: Tuesday January 19, 2021. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Benrahma sent a deep left-wing cross to the far side of the Albion area, where Coufal cleverly picked out Bowen, who chested the ball over the line from six yards to claim his fifth goal of the campaign and change the entire tone of both managers’ half-time team-talks.

Certainly, Allardyce’s words did not fall on deaf ears at the interval for, within just five minutes of the restart, Albion pulled level, when Kamil Grosicki released Pereira, who drilled a low angled 18-yarder beyond the flailing Fabiański to also net his fifth goal of the campaign.

Rocked by that equaliser, the Hammers immediately pressed forward with power, pace and purpose and, after Lanzini saw his point-blank, half-volley incredibly headed off the line by Dara O’Shea, Declan Rice then curled inches wide from 20 yards before then sending another low, angled effort through the danger-zone and beyond the far post.

Having seen those three chances go astray, the frustrated Moyes made a double-switch with Fornals and Andriy Yarmolenko replacing Lanzini and Benrahma for the final half-hour.

And within just five minutes of shuffling his Claret and Blue pack, the manager came up trumps, when Cresswell sent a left-wing cross towards the far post, where newly-arrived Yarmolenko outjumped Keiran Gibbs to nod down to the edge of the six-yard box.

Romford Recorder: West Ham United's Michail Antonio celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game during the Premier League match at the London Stadium. Picture date: Tuesday January 19, 2021.West Ham United's Michail Antonio celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game during the Premier League match at the London Stadium. Picture date: Tuesday January 19, 2021. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Still there was work to do, but Antonio was the liveliest as he beat both Jake Livermore and Semi Ajayi to the loose ball and hooked a low shot beyond Johnstone to restore the Hammers lead.

With nothing to lose, Albion went in search of another leveller and Gallagher unleashed a 10-yard scorcher, which Fabiański brilliantly repelled before substitute Darnell Furlong curled wide but it was not enough to prevent West Ham securing another three points as they now head into the second-half of term in fine fettle.

Romford Recorder: West Ham United's Declan Rice and West Bromwich Albion's Conor Gallagher (right) battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the London Stadium. Picture date: Tuesday January 19, 2021.West Ham United's Declan Rice and West Bromwich Albion's Conor Gallagher (right) battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the London Stadium. Picture date: Tuesday January 19, 2021. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

West Ham United: Fabianski, Coufal, Cresswell, Dawson, Ogbonna, Rice, Souček, Bowen, Lanzini (Fornals 62), Benrahma (Yarmolenko 62), Antonio (Noble 83).

Unused subs: Randolph, Balbuena, Alves, Diop, Fredericks, Johnson.

West Brom: Johnstone, O’Shea, Gibbs, Bartley, Ajayi, Sawyers, Livermore (Robson-Kanu 79), Gallagher, Pereira, Grosicki (Furlong 70), Robinson.

Unused subs: Button, Krovinovic, Ivanovic, Edwards, Peltier, Kipré, Field.

Booked: Gallagher (90+2)

Referee: Graham Scott