Mauro Zarate's fifth goal in his last six starts has handed West Ham United a 1-0 half-time advantage over West Bromwich Albion at Upton Park this afternoon.
The Hammers headed into the encounter with a better away record than at home so far this term, but the 28-year-old's 17th-minute intervention has left Slaven Bilic's men in a good position to collect their third victory in front of their own supporters.
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It was Zarate that had the half's first meaningful opening when he was played in by his fellow Argentine Manuel Lanzini. However, with the angle against him, West Ham's number 10 drove his shot into the side netting.
In a rare venture forward with 13 minutes on the clock West Brom's club-record signing Salomon Rondon then tried his luck from 20 yards and while his effort had Adrian in the home goal worried, the ball fizzed just wide of the target.
Yet, there were no such problems with Zarate's radar four minutes later. Visiting defender Gareth McAuley was adjudged to have held back Diafra Sakho on the edge of the West Brom and from the resultant set-piece situation, Zarate floated the ball over the four-man wall and into the top corner of Boaz Myhill's net.
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It was a moment that seemed to spark the former Lazio playmaker and his side into life as he went on to draw a save from the legs of Myhill, who was also forced to palm away a rising shot from Lanzini after he had been set up by Zarate. Prior to that an unmarked Cheikhou Kouyate was picked out by Aaron Cresswell, but the West Ham midfielder could only glance his header wide of the target.
West Ham remained the dominant force as the half drew to a close, although Myhill went relatively untested, thanks in part to a block from Jonny Evans that turned Sakho's goalbound effort behind for a corner.
Liam Apicella
