West Ham 2-0 Huddersfield: Returning Carroll Helps Hammers Secure Vital Win Over Terriers

West Ham secured their first win of the Premier League season with a hard-fought 2-0 win overHuddersfield, at the London Stadium on Monday evening.

The hosts were sitting bottom of the table after three games with zero points, and faced the unbeaten newcomers, who were chasing fourth consecutive clean sheet after an outstanding start to their debut campaign.

With manager Slaven Bilic under huge pressure he made five changes from the disappointing 3-0 defeat to Newcastle with Andy Carroll, Cheikou Kouyate, Jose Fonte, Winston Reid and Pedro Obiang all introduced into the lineup.

BEN STANSALL/GettyImages

Huddersfield remained unchanged from their goalless draw with Southampton as they looked to add to the seven points they had picked up in their first three games.

West Ham looked to take the game to their visitors and fashioned the first chance of the game when the returning Carroll controlled a Pablo Zabaleta cross before flashing an effort across the face of the goal, with Kouyate inches away from providing a finishing touch.

Javier Hernandez was next to chance his arm for the Hammers when he fired Michail Antonio cross against the Huddersfield bar, as the Terriers held firm. West Ham continued to onslaught the away side with balls into the area as James Collins had an effort thwarted by Jonas Lossl.

The home side continued to look the most likely to break the deadlock as Carroll let fly from range but his effort was deflected wide, before Antonio had another effort blocked by the resilient Huddersfield defence.

BEN STANSALL/GettyImages

With five minutes until half time, West Ham had a golden opportunity to take a valuable lead into the break as the ball fell to an unmarked Kouyate as he screwed his effort wide as the game remained goalless.

Huddersfield came out in the second half looking to make an impact on a match they had struggled to in the first half, Philip Billing registered his side's first shot on target as he tested Joe Hart from range, but his effort was comfortably gathered.

Kouyate found himself in the right area again as Hernandez's neat touch found the Senegalese international, but he could only stab his effort wide. Aaron Mooy tried his luck from distance as he blazed over as the game entered a scrappy period.

BEN STANSALL/GettyImages

With a goal beginning to look unlikely luck favoured West Ham with 18 minutes to go, as the impressive Obiang's hopeful strike deflected off Mathias Jorgensen and the woodwork past the hopeless Lossl, as the away side conceded their first goal of the season.

Huddersfield responded by bringing on Abdelhamid Sabiri for Elias Kachunga for his debut as they searched desperately for a way back into the game. However, the Hammers doubled their lead when Aaron Cresswell's corner was met by Jose Fonte and fell to substitute Andre Ayew who poke home.

Julian Finney/GettyImages

Tom Ince then nearly gave David Wagner's side a lifeline when he thumped an effort of the bar via a deflection, moments after Steve Mounie called Hart into a rare piece of action. Ince then had another chance but saw his effort blocked by Cresswell.

West Ham held on to secure the victory and a valuable three points and a valuable clean sheet after shipping ten goals in their opening three games, easing the pressure on manager Bilic.