Everton 2-2 West Ham

Marouane Fellaini hit an injury-time equaliser as Everton twice came from behind to deny struggling West Ham a much-needed win.

The Hammers and their beleaguered manager, Avram Grant, seemed on course for victory at Goodison Park as Frederic Piquionne headed them in front for the second time six minutes from time.

But Piquionne was sent off for celebrating with fans and the Hammers, who remain bottom of the Premier League, were denied as Fellaini struck.

The visitors had taken the lead after 27 minutes as the once goal-shy Jonathan Spector found the net for the fourth time in two months but Diniyar Bilyaletdinov came off the Everton bench to level.

The result was yet another blow for Grant, whose position has again been the subject of heavy speculation over the past week.

Yet for most of the game his team, with the returning Scott Parker driving them forward, the visitors acquitted themselves superbly.

Arsenal 3-0 West Ham

Avram Grant's reign as West Ham manager looked set to have ended in defeat as Arsenal romped to a 3-0 win at Upton Park.

The Irons boss was widely expected to lose his job, regardless of the result, with Martin O'Neill ready to step in to try to retain the club's Premier League status.

Arsenal, who moved to within two points of top spot, showed the Israeli's team no mercy as goals from Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott put them in command at half-time, before the Dutchman wrapped things up with a penalty on 77 minutes.

Despite guiding the East London club into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup, where they beat Birmingham in midweek to move within 90 minutes of Wembley, the patience of owners David Gold and David Sullivan - who only appointed Grant during the summer - appears to have run out.

Bridge to Hammers

Relegation-threatened West Ham have completed the loan signing of Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge until the end of the season.

The Hammers have agreed to pay Bridge's £90,000-a-week wages and he passed a medical with the East London club on Wednesday evening.

Bridge, 30, adds real experience to the West Ham defence having made 289 appearances in the Premier League and won 36 caps for England. He turned down the chance to move to Aston Villa.

He had fallen behind summer signing Aleksandar Kolarov in Roberto Mancini's plans at Manchester City though, and has now made West Ham the third London club of his career following spells with Chelsea and Fulham.

Wayne Bridge to West Ham?

West Ham have agreed to make Wayne Bridge their highest-paid player at £90,000-a-week, and are hoping the deal will go through in the next 48 hours in time for Saturday's clash with Arsenal.

GettyImagesWayne Bridge's place has been usurped by Aleksandar Kolarov this season

Bridge is available on loan as he has been unable to secure a regular starting place under Roberto Mancini at Manchester City, and negotiations are ongoing after the left-back chose to reject an approach from Aston Villa.

The former Chelsea defender is keen to return to London and a source told ESPNsoccernet: "The deal is 90% done, but there are some loose ends."

City manager Roberto Mancini confirmed on Tuesday: "Today he [Bridge] is London for a medical. [It is] a loan."

Newcastle 5-0 West Ham

Leon Best reminded Andy Carroll that there is more than one striker on Tyneside as Newcastle dumped woeful West Ham deep into relegation trouble.

Best, making his first Premier League start for the club in the absence of the injured Carroll and Shola Ameobi, finally opened his account on his 15th appearance with a fine hat-trick to repay a large slice of his £1.2 million transfer fee.

They were the 24-year-old's first goals in a week short of a year and came on the day it was revealed Newcastle had rejected an approach from Tottenham for Carroll.

Best's first-half brace and skipper Kevin Nolan's 45th-minute strike put the Magpies in the driving seat, and his third on the hour completed a first double of the campaign and ended the Hammers' recent revival before Peter Lovenkrands helped himself to a fifth.

West Ham 2-0 Wolverhampton

Freddie Sears put the seal on a sweet victory for West Ham as they climbed out of the relegation zone and sent Wolves crashing to the foot of the Premier League.

Winger Sears, a product of the club's academy and lifelong Hammers fan, struck from 15 yards in the 79th minute for his first goal since scoring on his debut in March 2008.

West Ham were already ahead by that stage, but they owed a debt of gratitude to Wolves' Ronald Zubar for their 51st-minute opener, the right-back letting the ball trickle in off his knee after Carlton Cole had taken an air shot.

Wolves had plenty of chances but Mick McCarthy's side, who won at Liverpool in midweek, could not find a way past Robert Green.

West Ham 1-1 Everton

West Ham blew the chance to haul themselves out of the Premier League drop zone as Everton claimed a deserved 1-1 draw at Upton Park.

The Hammers, who had climbed off the foot of the table thanks to Sunday's victory at Fulham, took the lead when Tony Hibbert diverted Radoslav Kovac's tame overhead kick into his own net.

The visitors hit back three minutes before half-time through Seamus Coleman before Carlton Cole wasted a glorious opportunity to win it for the home side.

After ending their 27-game wait for an away win in the league two days earlier, the Hammers were looking for back-to-back top-flight victories for the first time this season.

West Ham 3-1 Fulham

West Ham signalled their intent to become only the second club to stay up after being bottom of the Premier League on Christmas Day by ending their 27-game wait for an away win this afternoon.

Carlton Cole was gifted a Boxing Day double as the Hammers came from behind to stun Fulham at Craven Cottage and temporarily haul themselves off the foot of the table.

Cole netted twice after being inadvertently played in by Dickson Etuhu and Aaron Hughes at a chilly Craven Cottage, easing the pressure on manager Avram Grant.

The heat is now well and truly on opposite number Mark Hughes, whose side threw away namesake Aaron's first goal for more than six years, with Frederic Piquionne also on the scoresheet for the Hammers.

Blackburn 1-1 West Ham

Substitute Junior Stanislas earned West Ham a priceless point with a 78th-minute equaliser at Ewood Park to deny Blackburn caretaker manager Steve Kean a win in his first game in charge.

With West Ham boss Avram Grant enduring another week of speculation about his future, it was an important match for both managers, and, after a woeful first half, it was Blackburn who made the breakthrough in the 51st minute thanks to the scrappiest of goals from Ryan Nelsen.

Defeat would certainly have been harsh on the visitors, who were easily the more creative side, and they got their reward when Stanislas fired an unstoppable shot into the far corner. The point was not enough to lift West Ham off the bottom of the table but they did close to within two points of Wolves.

Staff at Ewood Park had spent all morning clearing the pitch, stands and surrounding areas of snow and their efforts were rewarded as the match was the only one of the scheduled 3pm kick-offs in the Barclays Premier League to go ahead.

Manchester CIty 3-1 West Ham United

Manchester City put talk of dressing room disharmony aside to produce the perfect team display as Roberto Mancini's multi-million pound squad moved level on points with Premier League leaders Arsenal.

City, without suspended former Hammers striker Carlos Tevez, dominated from kick-off, and it was no surprised when Yaya Toure rifled in the opener on the half-hour mark.

The home side rallied after the break and had appeals for a penalty turned down for handball against Yaya Toure.

However, the Ivory Coast midfielder then helped the visitors double their lead when his shot hit the post and went in off goalkeeper Robert Green, before substitute Adam Johnson wrapped things up with nine minutes left.

Sunderland 1-0 West Ham

Jordan Henderson's first goal of the season sent West Ham back to the foot of the Premier League table as Sunderland ended their recent revival.

The 20-year-old England international struck 11 minutes before the break to give his side an advantage they refused to surrender despite second half pressure from the visitors.

Victor Obinna came closest to snatching a point with a 79th-minute effort which hit the outside of the post, but the Black Cats were good value for a victory which left them in seventh place.

Manager Steve Bruce has spent much of the season to date pleading with his midfielders to help out strikers Darren Bent and Asamoah Gyan on the goals front, and Henderson's contribution will have been as welcome to him as it was to the bulk of a crowd of 36,940 on a bitterly cold Wearside afternoon.

Injury crisis chages opinion on American Jonathan Spector

ESPNsoccernet understands West Ham are now considering offering Jonathan Spector a new deal after his impressive performance in central midfield against Manchester United.

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West Ham had originally planned to allow Spector, 24, to move on during the January window, with Bundesliga side Cologne having shown interest in his services. The USA international is in the final year of his contract.

However, an injury crisis saw Avram Grant utilise the defender in midfield against Manchester United in their Carling Cup quarter-final on Tuesday, and Spector scored twice in a 4-0 win.

Carling Cup holders bounced from tourney.

West Ham dumped holders Manchester United out of the Carling Cup with a stunning victory inspired by Jonathan Spector's first goals in English football.

Spector had never scored during his six seasons in the Premier League but tonight the USA defender struck twice to begin a rout that sent Hammers fans delirious.

Further damage was done by Carlton Cole after the interval with the England marksman pouncing twice to bring feeble United crashing back down to earth after their 7-1 drubbing of Blackburn.

Spector and Cole were brilliantly supported by Victor Obinna with the Nigerian forward, on loan from Inter Milan, having a hand in each goal.

Carling Cup Action

11/30/2010-- Arsenal plays host to Wigan and West Ham plays host to Manchester United. 

• Wigan Athletic @ Arsenal
• Manchester United @ West Ham United

12/1/2010-- Birmingham, Aston Villa, and West Brom are all in action.

• Aston Villa @ Birmingham
• West Bromwich Albion @ Ipswich Town

West Ham 3-1 Wigan

Barclays Premier League basement club West Ham gave themselves a much-needed boost with a 3-1 victory over fellow strugglers Wigan at Upton Park.

The match had been billed by the West Ham board as the "save our season game'', although manager Avram Grant maintained that was more aimed at supporters to get behind the team than a shot across his bows.

Nevertheless, there was more than a sense of relief around the Boleyn Ground at the final whistle, with the Irons securing a first win since the end of September following goals from Valon Behrami, Victor Obinna and Scott Parker.

However, the Irons - now within three points of safety, but still bottom after Wolves' late winner against Sunderland - had keeper Robert Green to thank for saving a penalty from substitute Mauro Boselli just after the hour which could have set up a nervous finish, although Tom Cleverley netted a consolation on 85 minutes.

Cole set to be dropped after outburst

Avram Grant is considering axing England striker Carlton Cole for the Hammers' must-win match with Wigan after a behind-the-scenes bust-up, according to ESPNsoccernet sources.

 

Grant has called a players' meeting and told his squad that, while criticising the manager is one thing, he cannot tolerate public rebukes for team-mates, a pointed attack on Cole who said he had been starved of chances playing as the lone striker in the first half at Anfield.

Cole's place in the team for Saturday's game, which the club have themselves billed as the "save our season" match, is now under threat, with the likelihood of him being dropped down to the bench.

Liverpool 3 - 0 West Ham United

It was hardly a proper test of being able to cope without Steven Gerrard but Liverpool did more than enough to dispose of a woeful West Ham at Anfield.

With the captain out for a month with a hamstring tear manager Roy Hodgson called for his players to step up to fill the void and the Barclays Premier League's bottom side provide the perfect opposition.

First-half goals from Glen Johnson and Maxi Rodriguez, either side of a Dirk Kuyt penalty, were enough to wrap up the points in the first half.

The visiting fans were less than impressed and directed their anger at manager Avram Grant with chants of 'You're getting sacked in the morning'.

West Ham United 0 - 0 Blackpool

Bottom club West Ham were again frustrated as Blackpool's all-changed XI held them to a goalless draw at Upton Park.

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Ian Holloway had threatened to quit if fined for making ten alterations for the midweek defeat at Aston Villa, and had recalled his main men this afternoon.

However, it was referee Kevin Friend who took centre stage when he denied the home side what looked two clear first-half penalties, with Avram Grant's men then unable to make the most of their opportunities as the Israeli again faced calls for his resignation at the final whistle.

West Ham United 2 - 2 West Bromwich Albion

West Ham were once again left frustrated and remain bottom of the Premier League as they were held to a 2-2 draw by West Brom at Upton Park.


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 Peter Odemwingie had put the Baggies in front from the penalty spot in the 38th minute.

However, Scott Parker smashed in a 25-yard effort to level before the break and Frederic Piquionne put the Hammers ahead from the spot at the start of the second half - only for Pablo Ibanez to deny Avram Grant's men a much-needed first league win since September 25.

Birmingham 2 - 2 West Ham United



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Former Birmingham co-owner David Sullivan was denied victory on his return to St Andrews as his current club West Ham surrendered a two-goal lead.

The bottom-placed Hammers looked set for a first away success of the campaign after Frederic Piquionne and Valon Behrami had put them in command.

But City substitute Cameron Jerome and Liam Ridgewell salvaged a point for Alex McLeish's side.