Manuel Lanzini Faces 2-Match Ban Following Simulation During West Ham Rout Over Stoke City

West Ham United star Manuel Lanzini could be set for a two-game ban following his actions in the lead up to his side's opener during their 3-0 win over Stoke City at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The top-flight clash, which was pushed back an hour due to an electrical failure, finished with plenty of talking points, as Mark Noble, former Potters player Marko Arnautovic and Diafra Sakho all hit the back of the net to secure a vital three points for the Hammers.

The victory lifted the Irons out of the Premier League relegation zone, leapfrogging their opponents who are now just one point clear of the bottom three, and continued David Moyes' good start to his tenure at the London Stadium.

0-3 win, first PL away victory of the season, Arnie scores against his old club & we're out the bottom three. Scenes in the West Ham dressing room! pic.twitter.com/iPLkfzpVNt
— Wᴇsᴛ Hᴀᴍ Sᴏᴄɪᴀʟ (@WestHamSocial) December 16, 2017

However, despite the feel-good factor surrounding the win, there could well be some negative repercussions faced by West Ham due to Lanzini's actions in the build up to their first goal of the afternoon, according to The Sun.

Noble converted from the spot after Stoke defender Erik Pieters initially appeared to bring the Argentine down inside the area.

At first glance it looked as though the referee awarding the spot kick was undoubtedly the correct decision, however, on further inspection there seems to be minimal to no contact between the two, leaving the conclusion the Hammers playmaker conned the official to gain an advantage.

Ok obviously Lanzini has dived to win the @westhamutd penalty, wonder if he'll be punished retrospectively, if he is, it could prove costly for The Hammers.
— Ian Abrahams (Moose) (@BroadcastMoose) December 16, 2017

If history is anything to go by, the footage will be shown to a three-man panel who will decide whether Lanzini deserves to be reprimanded for the dive.

If all are in agreement, the 24-year-old could well suffer the same fate as Everton striker Oumar Niasse, who was the first to be punished by the new laws and was slapped with a three-match ban as a result of his actions earlier this season.

If the attacking midfielder was to face the same outcome as his Toffees counterpart, he could well miss out on his side's crucial Premier League bouts with Newcastle United and Bournemouth.