Three things we learnt from Watford’s sensational comeback at West Ham

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Are West Ham suffering a hangover from last season?

After so much promise going into the campaign, Slaven Bilic’s West Ham United have suffered almost a disaster start to the new season. With much riding on European football at their new London Stadium base, the Hammers were unceremoniously dumped out of the Europa League qualifying rounds by Romanian club Astra Giurgiu for the second year in a row and now have lost in three of their opening four Premier League fixtures.

The home comforts so often relished by Bilic’s men also seem to be deserting them, two of their last four home games have now ended in defeat- the Hammers had gone 15 home games unbeaten prior to that.

The Croatian manager was pleased to welcome Dimitri Payet back into the starting eleven after an extended break following Euro 2016 and the Frenchman was the lynchpin of West Ham’s creativity in the opening half hour. He provided the corner from which Antonio nodded in the opener and after embarrassing Jose Holebas to float in a rabona cross which once more found the rising Antonio for the Englishman’s fourth goal of the season.

Following that, Payet’s influence on the match waned as the visitors began to seize control and the Hammers stumbled. He wasn’t the only one however- Simone Zaza making his Irons debut was a bright spark in the opening exchanges but cut a forlorn figure by the time he was hauled off on 77 minutes.

Powerful centre-forward Andy Carroll is nearing a return from injury and Bilic cannot wish for the towering striker to return quickly enough as the East Londoners look in serious need of a presence to reinforce their forward-line.