Aaron Cresswell said the Hammers rose to the occasion to secure a huge three points against Southampton on Saturday.
West Ham went into the London Stadium contest knowing victory would take them five points clear of their visitors, and they made sure of that outcome with a blistering first half performance.
On Cresswell’s 150th game in Claret and Blue, the hosts were two goals up within 17 minutes thanks to Joao Mario and Marko Arnautovic, before the Austrian rounded off a fine move to make it three on the stroke of half-time.
It was enough to give the Hammers a comfortable second period and Cresswell was thrilled with every element of the day.
He explained: “Let’s not beat around the bush, the pressure was certainly on us on Saturday, but we performed straight from the off.
“The fans were behind us, we were all as one and the first half was excellent – the best we’ve been all season.
“Everyone played a part. We set our stall out, got that 3-0 lead, and then the second half was pretty comfortable.
“I was a little bit disappointed that my shot at the end didn’t go in! The ball was a bit in front of me, but some go in and some don’t. I’m not bothered who scored the goals as long as we won.
“The win was the perfect way to mark my 150th game for the Club. Getting a clean sheet and winning 3-0 in a game as big as Saturday was massive."