Saturday 14 January 2017 18:50, UK
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says the 3-0 win against Crystal Palace was a 'perfect day' after a difficult week for the club.
It has been a turbulent few days as Bilic himself confirmed that playmaker Dimitri Payet was refusing to play for the club and could be on his way elsewhere in the January transfer window.
However, this did not affect the team on the field as they swept aside their London rivals and the Croatian boss was full of enthusiasm and praise for his side after the game.
"It was a perfect day for us. A clean sheet for us is also very important, three goals at home that are all scored by offensive players which is important for them," Bilic told Sky Sports.
"They all scored or assisted and combined with a clean sheet, everybody is happy. The players all know we played really well and should gain confidence from this as well. It is a great day for us.
"It was a very difficult week but the team showed what we asked them for: determination, team spirit and character. The first half was kind of nervous which was expected. The crowd was brilliant from kick-off all the way through.
"In the second half, we made a change at half-time and we were magnificent. We gave everything, scored three really good goals, we were very compact and very solid which is what the team should be so today we showed everything.
"I can only congratulate the boys who have done amazingly. I would also like to thank the fans who were magnificent from the first whistle until the end."
It was a stunning overhead kick from Andy Carroll that took centre stage at the London Stadium, which the striker admitted he had been practising in training.
While Bilic only had warm words for his player, he did give a humourous response when asked about the attempts tried by Carroll in training.
"He has got it but when he was doing them in training, he was hitting the post or it was not going in and with his history with injuries, I go a little bit crazy when he tries them because I don’t want him to feel something after that," the manager added.
"I am a great fan of his. He gives you everything, he has character and he is a leader. That goal was also the end of a good move for us and to score in that manner, he is the one that deserved it."
