Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text commentary of the Premier League clash between West Ham United and Sunderland at Upton Park.
The Hammers have won two of their four games so far this season. Both victories came at home against Aston Villa and Fulham, without conceding any goals.
Meanwhile, Martin O'Neill's men have opened their campaign with three consecutive draws. The only three goals that the Black Cats have scored this season have come by the boot of record signing Steven Fletcher.
Sunderland took all three points the last time this fixture was played in May 2011, as goals from Boudewijn Zenden, Stephane Sessegnon and Cristian Riveros helping them to a convincing 3-0 victory.
Please note that kickoff is at 3pm.
93 minsIT WAS ANOTHER LONG BALL INTO THE BOX, HOOKED BACK BY DIAME BEFORE NOLAN HIT THE BALL ON THE TURN!
93 minsGOAL! KEVIN NOLAN EQUALISES!
92 minsCampbell succumbs to his injury (not in the literal sense, of course) and Meyler comes on.
91 minsFraizer Campbell has taken a knock and is slow in leaving the field. The home crowd aren't happy.
90 minsThere will be four minutes of added-on time.
90 minsFletcher is holding the ball up at the corner flag.
89 minsLast minute of normal time. Caution to the wind!
89 minsNolan miscues his header, but West Ham get another chance to deliver into the box. It's cleared by Sunderland. West Ham are piling the pressure on.
87 minsCorner to West Ham.
86 minsCollins goes long but Bramble wins the header. He has been sensational at the back for Sunderland today. So too has O'Shea.
85 minsNoble pumps another ball into the box from a free kick but it goes out for a corner.
82 minsReid goes into the referee's book for dragging back McClean.
80 minsWe're into the final 10 minutes at Upton Park.
79 minsThe game is very much end to end now as West Ham press for an equaliser. Fletcher brings the ball under control with his chest and blazes a shot over.
78 minsCLOSE! Jarvis flashes another cross into the box but it's agonisingly out of reach of Benayoun.
76 minsCLOSE! The ball is whipped into the West Ham area and Fletcher arrives at the back post, but cannot get anything on it.
75 minsNoble delivers and Collins climbs high, but Mignolet sees his header over the bar.
74 minsAnother corner for West Ham, this one won by Demel.
73 minsWest Ham cannot win that initial ball into the box. I've a feeling that Andy Carroll would be profiting a lot more from these long ball tactics.
72 minsNoble's corner is lofted high into the box but comes to nothing. Jarvis delivers another ball but Sunderland stand strong. Can they hold on here?
70 minsFraizer Campbell is about to come on for Stephane Sessegnon. The Frenchman looks around, puzzled as to why he is coming off.
70 minsDiame wins another corner for the Hammers.
69 minsSHOT! O'Brien tries his hand but Mignolet saves. In truth, it was going off target anyway...
68 minsThe faces in the West Ham directors box are becoming more and more anxious.
67 minsSunderland break with Fletcher. He lays the ball off to Sessegnon deep in West Ham's final third, but West Ham shirts come streaming back to break the move down.
64 minsCHANCE! Diame made a dash into the Sunderland half before laying the ball off to Jarvis. He wrapped his left foot around the ball and delivered a dangerous cross into the box. Rose managed to get his head on it and put it behind for a corner. Great defensive header.
62 minsMartin O'Neill is making a change. Larsson is coming off for Vaughan.
59 minsCHANCE! Gardner breaks down the right and gets a ball into the box. Cattermole runs onto it, but he was stretching for it and lost his footing as he was about to get a shot away.
57 minsWest Ham are making a change. Taylor and Vaz Te are coming off for Jarvis and Benayoun.
56 minsThe ball is launched into the box once more but it's a similar result as the ball does not fall to a West Ham player. Vaz Te had the chance to flick beyond Mignolet but couldn't get anything on it.
55 minsTaylor swings a corner into the box but Mignolet punches behind for another corner.
54 minsBramble flattens Taylor just outside the area. The referee deemed it a fair challenge.
51 minsCattermole goes down on the edge of the West Ham area but the referee waves play on.
49 minsA mini scramble in the Sunderland area, but the ball won't fall kindly for a West Ham shirt.
47 minsNolan tries to hook a cross into the box with his back to goal but Mignolet claims it easily.
46 minsThere's not a great deal that West Ham need to do differently... apart from take their chances, maybe.
4.02pmThe second half is about to get underway.
HALF TIMEThe referee blows his whistle for half time. West Ham will feel that they have had enough of the game to be level, but it's goals what count. Nolan and Diame have been good for the home side so far. Sunderland don't exactly look solid at the back. It's still all to play for in the second half.
45 minsTwo minutes of added on time to be played at the end of the first half.
44 minsCLOSE! Vaz Te made a burst down the right and got to the byline, before standing the ball up inside the area for Nolan. He tried a scissors kick but Mignolet palms it behind for a corner. Great effort!
40 minsA less than convincing back pass from Collins puts Jaaskelainen under some pressure from Fletcher. The Finn manages to avoid red-faced embarrassment, though...
38 minsDemel tries to launch a throw into the box but Cole's flick on is too heavy and the ball goes behind for a goal kick.
36 minsCHANCE! Another free kick slung into the box and it fell to Nolan, who tried to hit it on the swivel but shot wide.
34 minsCole heads over from Diame's cross.
30 minsThe ball falls for Nolan in the box from a corner, but he cannot direct his shot on goal.
29 minsNeedless to say, Fletcher was not very happy with McClean...
28 minsSunderland broke quickly and the ball found its way to McClean who was surging down the left. The Northern Irishman tried to fire at goal from long range but dragged his shot way off target. They had West Ham three on three at the back. Waste.
27 minsNolan slams the free kick into the wall. Chance wasted.
26 minsFree kick for West Ham in a dangerous area. Diame drew the foul from Colback, who goes into the book.
24 minsSHOT! Diame steps inside McClean before trying his luck from all of 30 yards but is off target.
22 minsCHANCE! Noble takes the ball down inside the area but his shot is blocked. Vaz Te then gets on the end of Taylor's cross but heads wide.
21 minsLarsson cannot beat the first man with a corner.
21 minsCorner for Sunderland. Danger loomed large as Larsson had the chance to whip a cross in, but Diame heads behind.
20 minsTaylor whips a free kick into the area but no West Ham shirt can get on the end of it. Diame is penalised for a foul on Sessegnon as Sunderland clear the ball.
20 minsIt's a bit of a midfield battle at Upton Park. Very few chances being created.
14 minsWest Ham are playing very directly, which is bound to be expected I suppose. Any chance they have to launch the ball into the are and they're taking it. Cole took one in the face from Mignolet and is off the field for treatment.
12 minsThat's Fletcher's - and Sunderland's - fourth goal of the season. He is living up to his price tag indeed.
10 minsJames Collins's pass hit Diame's ankle and fell kindly for Larsson just inside the West Ham half. He took it forward and clipped the ball into Flethcer, who had peeled away from his marker inside the area. He then bends the ball around Jaaskelainen and into the corner of the net. Superb finish.
9 minsGOAL! STEVEN FLETCHER SCORES FOR SUNDERLAND!
8 minsLong ball into the box that Cole gets something on. But unfortunately for the Hammers, it was his hand. Free kick in Sunderland's area.
6 minsNolan goes searching for Diame out wide but his pass is overhit and goes out for a throw. Bit of a sloppy start here, neither team have settled particularly well.
4 minsColback tries to get in down the right but Reid ushers the ball out of play for a goal kick.
2 minsWest Ham pump the ball long for Cole to run onto, but Mignolet comes out and deal with the threat well.
1 minWe're underway in west London.
2.56pmHere is today's team news in full as the players come out onto the pitch in resplendent sunshine.
2.55pmWe're not long from kick off now. Just five minutes to go...
2.26pmLee Mason is today's referee at Upton Park. He's dished out eight yellow cards so far this season, but is yet to hoist a red. Lee Cattermole is on the pitch though, so that could all change.
2.22pmWest Ham have had a steady start to life back in the top flight. They won their opening game 1-0 against Aston Villa, but then fell to a 3-0 defeat at Swansea. A 3-0 win over Fulham and a goalless draw against Norwich have followed.
2.20pmSunderland are still unbeaten in the Premier League this season. However, they have drawn all three games, scoring three goals. Their game against Reading was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
SUNDERLANDMignolet; Gardner, Bramble, O'Shea, Rose; Cattermole, Larsson, Colback, McClean; Sessegnon; Fletcher
Subs: Westwood, Kilgallon, Vaughan, Meyler, Campbell, Wickham, Saha
WEST HAMJaaskelainen; Demel, Reid, Collins, O'Brien; Noble, Diame, Nolan, Taylor; Vaz Te, Cole
Subs: Henderson, Tomkins, Jarvis, Maiga, McCartney, Benayoun, O'Neil
2.11pmHere are today's lineups...
2.10pmGood afternoon readers of Sports Mole. Welcome to out live coverage of the Premier League clash between West Ham and Sunderland at Upton Park.
Written by
Michael Penkman
Michael Penkman
