West Ham United clinched victory at Molineux on Saturday afternoon to keep ahead of Newcastle United in seventh place in the Premier League.
David Moyes' side had fallen behind against Wolverhampton Wanderers before the break after Pablo Sarabia converted from the penalty spot, though Lucas Paqueta returned the favour with an expertly-taken spot kick of his own after 72 minutes.
The result was sealed when James Ward-Prowse's direct corner kick wound its way beyond the hapless Jose Sa to confirm a massive win for the Irons, who were perhaps fortunate not to squander the lead when Max Kilman's last-gasp header was contentiously ruled out following a VAR check.
James Ward-Prowse's game vs Wolves in numbers
WIth Jarrod Bowen starting up front and Edson Alvarez returning from suspension, Paqueta returned to the left flank and Ward-Prowse shifted back into a more attacking midfield role.
The England international has ebbed and flowed from form over recent weeks but his goal has now continued West Ham's pursuit of European qualification, galvanising the team ahead of a crucial period of forthcoming football.
Minutes played
90'
Goals
1
Touches
57
Accurate passes
41/43 (95%)
Shots taken
5
Key passes
0
Duels won
8/11
Tackles
4
Interceptions
1
Dribbled past
2
It was an active and crisp performance, of course boosted by his remarkable winning goal, but Ward-Prowse lacked in creativity through open play and failed to provide the squad with the spark to truly take the game by the neck – as shown by his zero key passes.
He popped up with the decisive moment, but it could be argued that Michail Antonio was the true difference-maker after coming on shortly after half-time.
Michail Antonio makes the difference
It was a bit of an average collective performance for the visitors but Antonio definitely made a difference following his introduction, handed a 7/10 match rating by The Evening Standard's Malik Ouzia, who said: 'On at half-time for his 300th West Ham appearance and made a positive impact as the focal point.'
Sky Sports pundit Neil Lennon echoed this sentiment – speaking live on Soccer Saturday – even going as far as to say that the 34-year-old talisman "terrorised" the Old Gold defence, excelling through his brutish, all-action approach.
As per Sofascore, Antonio might have only taken 26 touches, completed 58% of his passes and lost seven of his 11 contested duels but he was indeed a menace, a thorn in his foe's side.
He took a strike on goal and attempted four dribbles, stretching the defence, and proved himself once again with a very singular skill set that will now be called into play given Bowen's suspected injury.
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Bowen, agonisingly, is now a major doubt for Thursday's Europa League quarter-finals contest against Bayer Leverkusen, and while this will leave a gnawing sense of dread over the days to come, Antonio can succeed as the focal point, bringing the best out of his teammates.
