Hammers blitz the Blues

Stuart Pearce clears for West Ham during the 4-1 win

West Ham 4-1 Manchester City

The cheekiest of penalties by Paulo Di Canio rounded off a remarkable revival as West Ham ripped Manchester City apart in the second half.

Di Canio chipped past the diving Nicky Weaver a minute from time to compound the visitors' misery.

A header from centre-back Spencer Prior had given City a deserved interval lead.

But the Hammers emerged from the break with new vigour, and a three-goal burst within 25 minutes of the restart sealed the win.

Steve Lomas equalized against his old club. Trevor Sinclair put the hosts ahead, and defender Ian Pearce grabbed the third.

It was then left to the ultimate showman, Di Canio, to rub salt into City wounds with his unconventional late spot-kick after Frederic Kanoute was brought down.

The Italian jogged up, calmly chipped the ball at slow-motion pace and watched it float into the centre of the goal as Weaver lied in a heap at the foot of his right post.

Prior is mobbed after the opener

It had all started so well for City, with a new strike pairing of ex-Hammer Paulo Wanchope and Premiership debutant Shaun Wright-Phillips wreaking havoc.

But Wanchope, booed throughout the game after labelling West Ham fans racist earlier in the day, ended up being substituted in the second-half.

The game kicked off 15 minutes late due to safety concerns over loose scaffolding outside the ground.

And West Ham's defence looked less than secure in the opening period.

Prior appeared to be marked on the edge of the six-yard area but was still able to head home after 32 minutes.

City had survived an early scare.

Di Canio's audacious chip cleared Weaver and struck the bar, but neither Michael Carrick nor Frank Lampard could not convert the rebound.

Wanchope, making his first return to Upton Park since a £3.65m move to Maine Road in August, looked lively initially.

In all honesty, we could have scored six or seven in the second-half

  West Ham boss Harry Redknapp

But the biggest threat came from the exciting Wright-Phillips, son of former West Ham marksman Ian Wright.

One of his dazzling runs set up Mark Kennedy to convert from close range, although the effort was ruled offside.

And good work from the 19-year-old striker forced the corner which brought City's opener.

His smart drive was well stopped by Shaka Hislop, diving low to his left post.

From Kennedy's resulting corner, Prior outjumped the West Ham defence to plant a powerful header wide of Hislop.

City almost doubled their advantage after Carrick missed his clearance and Stuart Pearce had to kick Haaland's shot off the line.

West Ham looked a vastly different, and much improved, side after the break.

A series of attacks culminated in a 53rd minute equalizer.

First half, we were a top Premiership side - second half, we were Nationwide

  Man City boss Joe Royle

Kanoute created the chance, supplying a low cross which missed Lampard but found Lomas whose shot hit Weaver before struggling into the net.

Sinclair put the Hammers ahead five minutes later, when he fired home a Carrick ball which raced across the six-yard box.

Ian Pearce, only recently returned from a long injury lay-off, nodded in the third from Kanoute's cross after 67 minutes.

Kanoute wasted two good chances to extend the lead, while Wright-Phillips brought an excellent save at the other end.

Then Di Canio rounded off the party in his own inimitable style.

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West Ham: Hislop, Sinclair, Ferdinand, I. Pearce, S. Pearce, Winterburn, Lomas, Lampard, Carrick, Di Canio, Kanoute.
Subs: Bywater, Potts, Suker, Moncur, Diawara.

Man City: Weaver, Whitley, Howey, Prior, Charvet, Ritchie, Haaland, Wiekens, Wanchope, Wright-Phillips, Kennedy.
Subs: Wright, Bishop, Dunne, Allsopp, Horlock.

Referee: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees)