West Ham United returned to the top of the Championship in stunning fashion, dismantling Wrexham 6-0 at the London Stadium on Saturday.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side made it four consecutive league victories with a commanding display of attacking football that left their opponents with no answer.
Six different players found the net, underscoring just how deep and dangerous West Ham have become as they continue to settle into life in the second tier.
Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring after 28 minutes, converting Morato’s perfectly timed cross from the right ahead of Jacques Ekomié to guide the ball into the far corner.
Joël Piroe doubled the lead before half-time, slotting home after Taty Castellanos unselfishly squared rather than shooting when clean through on goal.
The result is a significant statement from a club that failed to win any of their first three Championship fixtures following relegation from the Premier League.
Konstantinos Mavropanos got the third goal just seconds into the second half, heading home freely inside the six-yard box from Bowen’s corner to put the contest to bed.
West Ham’s fourth came directly from a Wrexham corner, with Kyle Walker-Peters collecting a poor ball, driving forward on the counter, and teeing up Castellanos to slot coolly into the corner.
Substitute Mohamadou Kanté made it five with a lovely rising finish after being sent clear by Manor Solomon, who then completed the rout himself with a deflected shot via a post.
Wrexham goalkeeper Anthony Patterson produced several fine saves throughout the game, but his side’s only real chance came when Mavropanos cleared off the line from George Dobson with Mads Hermansen beaten.
The margin of victory could easily have been greater, with Castellanos heading over from six yards in the seventh minute and Bowen seeing an earlier effort turned onto the crossbar by Patterson.
West Ham’s quality and depth were on full display across 90 minutes, with the home side’s control never seriously threatened after taking the lead in the first half.
The Hammers now sit at the summit of the Championship, building genuine momentum and signalling their intention to mount a serious push for an immediate return to the Premier League.