JOIN USWest Ham United's woes intensified as the Premier League club were knocked out of the FA Cup by second tier Nottingham Forest with Jamie Paterson netting a hat-trick in a humiliating 5-0 third-round rout on Sunday.
The Londoners, who are 19th in the top flight, were undone by an in-form Forest side who scored early in the first half with a cheeky Djamel Abdoun penalty before Paterson netted three times in the second half and Andy Reid added a fifth.
The result heaps pressure on West Ham boss Sam Allardyce, who made nine changes to his starting line-up with one eye on the first leg of their League Cup semi-final at Manchester City on Wednesday.
Paterson was tripped in the area by George Moncur 12 minutes into the match and Abdoun finished with an audacious chipped penalty to put the hosts ahead and Paterson doubled the lead after 65 minutes with a low finish across the keeper for the twice European champions. Paterson, who had not scored since joining Forest from Walsall in the close season, grabbed his second with another first-time, low finish after 71 and added his third with a well-taken effort on 79. Reid heaped embarrassment on the visitors with a rifled finish into the top corner in injury time.
Cheeky Walcott
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott angered Tottenham Hotspur fans while being carted off on a stretcher during his side’s comfortable 2-0 win over their London rivals on Saturday.
Arsenal were already heading into the fourth round draw, with goals from Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky, and the mood of the visiting suppporters was not helped by Walcott gesturing the scoreline with his fingers after injuring his knee.
Cazorla’s arrowed drive after 31 minutes and a second goal by Rosicky just past the hour mark following a mistake from Tottenham left-back Danny Rose on the halfway line when he lost possession to Rosicky, secured Arsenal’s place in the last 32.
Important fourth-round fixtures: Arsenal vs Coventry City, Birmingham or Bristol Rovers or Crawley v Manchester United or Swansea, Bournemouth or Burton v Liverpool or Oldham, Blackburn or Manchester City v Bristol City or Watford, Derby or Chelsea v Stoke.